Testudo's Tales from 2012

Vol. 6 No. 72 -- The Optics of Leadership December 28, 2012 X As our elected officials in Washington engage in a political mud fight over the federal debt and the impending fiscal cliff, it is important to remember that it is all about the optics. These so-called leaders are more interested in creating perceptions of doing the people's work than actually doing it.  That's why both Republicans and Democrats have decided that it is much better to reach the new year without a budget deal that would avoid the draconian effects of sequestration. To compromise on taxes or social program cuts before New Year's Day would involve elected officials taking politically difficult votes. By waiting until after the automatic cuts and taxes hikes take effect, Democrats can claim they restored some - but not all - of the social program cuts and the Republicans can say they they restored some -- but not all -- of the tax cuts. It's a clever dodge. But it is also cowardice and cynically self-serving.  For our leaders - President Obama included - to talk up the danger of the so-called "fiscal cliff" as an functional equivalent to Armageddon, only to come back later and say it wasn't as big a deal as they indicated undermines public confidence in our leaders.  However, they don't see it that way. All members of the executive and legislative branches justify their actions by saying they were elected by a majority of their constituents. While that is true, they cannot justify undermining public faith in democracy by confusing sleight-of-hand with true leadership. And if that undermined faith sparks another recession, will these optics of leadership have been worth it? The President, in particular, bears the burden of bringing the two parties together on a budget compromise.  After all, he's the only person in Washington no longer burdened by worries of reelection.  If Obama wants to have a legacy of leadership, now is his opportunity. It is time for him to "bust heads" -- including those of intransigent Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. If Obama truly meant that he wants to bring change to Washington, now is his chance.  However, if he continues to lead from behind - his motis operandi of the past four years - then the American people will be forced to pay the price for his callous cowardice. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 71 -- Does Anyone Know? December 17, 2012 X In the days since learning the news of the horrific murders in Newtown, Connecticut, a line from a Gordon Lightfoot ballad has echoed within me. In The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Lightfoot hauntingly asks, "Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn minutes to hours?" The Canadian balladeer's song is about the 1975 sinking of a Great Lakes freighter. But its sentiment seems to starkly fit today's tragedy of a young man named Adam Lanza descending from despair into evil. We all sat last Friday in stunned anguish and asked ourselves "how could this happen?" Yes, the answer is complicated and there is no one "easy fix." Yes, this is about guns. And yes, it is about mental health.  It is also about a culture of violence, and not just that shamelessly promoted by Hollywood and video game makers. All one has to do is watch the evening news, where the old tome "if it bleeds, it leads" still stands true. Yes, there is a lot to address in this cause-and-effect chaos, but that is not an excuse for analysis paralysis.  There are things we can do right now to make this a safer world for our children. For example, how is it we have low tolerance for other nations developing weapons of mass destructions when we have more than 300 million guns on America's streets threatening our annihilation from within? Sure, there's the Second Amendment. But if there are reasonable limits on the other nine amendments in the Bill of Rights, why is the Second Amendment sacrosanct? Outside of the military and security and public safety officers, no one has a legitimate need for automatic weapons. The very possession of these weapons is an assault on common sense and should be a crime. As for addressing mental health needs, this is not a time to be killing programs in favor of cutting taxes.  If you ask most taxpayers, they would much rather we take affirmative steps to halt the creation of people destroyers like Adam Lanza than line the pockets of so-called "job creators" like Donald Trump. And in our newsrooms and studios and computer labs, isn't it time we own-up to the damaging role we play? When we dehumanize life by reducing it to points in a video game, a movie promo or a bumper on the nightly news, don't we diminish our own humanity? Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours? X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 70 -- The Best Day of My Life December 13, 2012 X I remember it as if it were only yesterday. But it was December 1983. In those days, I was usually the one who went to bed first, and with good reason.  I was the morning anchor on the North Carolina News Network, a statewide radio network, and I usually went to work at four in the morning. But on this particular Monday night, I was staying up to watch the end of a boring football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  (The Chiefs won a battle of fields goals, 9-6.) I was taking Tuesday off from work, which meant I could, for once, actually watch the second half of Monday Night Football. Jan, my very pregnant wife, was having a hard time getting to sleep. We had visited the doctor earlier in the day and were told that it would be another week before the baby would come. So when the game ended around 12:30 a.m., I went to bed and Jan stayed up to watch television. I wasn't in bed very long when Jan announced that she was having labor pains.  It wasn't until 8:31 p.m. that six-pound eight ounce Susan Elizabeth Guth entered the world at the Wake Medical Center in Raleigh. After years of trying - and crying - we were finally parents. Babies are precious gifts mothers and fathers give one another. And this particular baby proved to be one who was very special. Sure, there were the occasional test-of-wills between parents and child - just ask Susan someday about the "green beans incident." There was also the time when after her parents had lectured her on her grades that she marched off to her room after announcing that our dog, Rusty, "is the only one who understands me." Despite these little parent-child dramas that crop up in every household, there hasn't been a day that Susan's parents were not proud of her. From her graduation from kindergarten to receiving her degree from the University of Oklahoma, her parents watched in joyous wonder as their daughter grew from a child to a woman. When her mother passed away unexpectedly, Susan took it on herself to see to it that her father was OK. I was too worried about her to realize that she was worried about me. It took me some time to realize that - dads are often the last ones to know what's really going on.  But I know that now and am grateful to have been blessed with such a loving daughter.  I also know her mother's spirit is with her and will always be proud of her. So here we are: I just turned 60 and my daughter today turns 29. Almost three decades have passed since that early morning in Garner, North Carolina. I will always think of December 13, 1983, as the best day of my life.  And I remember it as if it were only yesterday. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 69 -- A Look Before We Leap December 9, 2012 X If you pay an even modest amount of attention to the news, you cannot escape the fact that this country is on the verge of an economic crisis. If the Congress cannot agree on some kind of formula for reducing the federal budget deficit by December 31, a series of draconian measures, the so-called fiscal cliff, will automatically take effect. Much of the focus of the news has been on the effect these automatic cuts would have on social safety net programs and the U.S. military. However, if you spend a few minutes with an online fiscal cliff calculator created by creditcards.com, you will soon realize that the political stalemate in Washington will have a direct effect on your own pocketbook. Let us look at three examples. If you are single and making $40,000 a year, your taxes will go up by $80, a 48 percent increase. For the average U.S. household, with an estimated annual income of $52,762, the federal tax bill would rise by $2,338, some 33 percent. Or, let's say you are a married couple of empty-nesters with an annual income of $100,000. Your tax bill would go up by $5,458, approximately 30 percent. This is the real price tag that comes with political stalemate. Many of us view cuts to social programs or the military as something that affects somebody else. However, these figures clearly show that practically every American will feel the pinch that comes with jumping off the fiscal cliff. And these estimates do not take into account additional burdens forced upon us by revenue hungry state and local governments. It is painfully obvious that the United States of America has been living beyond its means for too long. It is also painfully obvious that our taxes will be going up. But if anyone thinks that the deficit will be reduced by just taxing the rich, they should remember the words of former president Bill Clinton. In remarks at an economic forum last spring, Clinton noted that the federal government would bring in a lot more in tax revenues by taxing the middle class an additional 8 percent than it would taxing millionaires 100 percent. I don't know about you, but if my taxes are about to rise, I would rather they increase following a learned congressional debate than as a result of cowardly, spineless budget cuts triggered randomly because of a congressional failure to reach agreement. And let us not forget, that the rest of the world, including those who wish us harm, are carefully watching this budgetary drama unfold. They will see our inaction as an opportunity to challenge our interests and undermine our values. This is a time of maximum danger for our country. The president and members of Congress recently fought hard to be reelected. We gave them our votes. Now, they owe us. Addressing this budgetary crisis, not as partisans, but as Americans, is needed now more than ever. And the American people expect and demand no less. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 68 -- Still a Bad Idea December 3, 2012 X There are time when the newspapers delivered to one's doorstep bring a convergence of headlines that demonstrate the ironic absurdity of life in these United States.  Yesterday was such as day. As one might have expected, the front page of the Kansas City Star was dominated by the tragic murder-suicide involving a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and his 22-year-old girlfriend.  It's a difficult story to comprehend, one of a moment of insanity when Jovan Belcher murdered Kasandra Perkins followed by a moment of desperation when Belcher turned the gun on himself. That story, in and of itself, is distressing. But then I picked up the Lawrence Journal-World and read a story about a Kansas state senator who will try again to change the law to allow people with permits to carry concealed weapons on college campuses and in public buildings. “We can trust the average Kansan to carry a deadly weapon,” said Rep. Forrest Knox, R-Altoona. “It is not the weapon that is evil; it is criminals that misuse weapons.” To that bumper-sticker mentality, I'd say, "Yes. My point exactly." With a gun, it just takes just one moment of anger, misjudgment or insanity to end a life. Frankly, I question the mental health of anyone working outside of law enforcement, security and the military who feels his or she must carry a gun with them at all times. As you may recall, I wrote about this misguided miscreant Knox in February (Vol. 6 No. 8). What was a bad idea is still a bad idea now. Where is the social gain in passing such ludicrous legislation? How are the public's needs really served? Is turning civil society into an armed camp the greater good?  This isn't Dodge City of Matt Dillon's days.  So why risk turning every campus and public building in Kansas into the home version of Gunsmoke? I hope the state senate, to which Knox was elected last month, has the sense to flush his legislation into the sewer of bad ideas where it belongs. However, thanks to Governor Brownback's war on moderates, the incoming senate is far more conservative and gun-friendly. We will just have to hold our breathe and hope we don't draw fire - literally - from some gun-toting lunatic legislator. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 67 -- Impending Doom December 1, 2012 X Can you feel it? A sense of impending doom is in the air. No, I am not talking about the football game between the 1 and 10 Kansas Jayhawks and West Virginia later today.  Today is December 1, and by the Mayans' reckoning, we have only three weeks left on this Earth.  It seems the winter solstice will bring our planet in line with the center of the galaxy and that the Earth will experience a sudden gravitational reversal - or something like that. I don't know if there's any truth to all of that. And last I checked, there are no Mayans around to either confirm or deny anything.  If the end of the world isn't a big enough problem confronting us, we also have this so-called fiscal cliff approaching. The fiscal cliff is a series of draconian cuts to military spending and social safety net programs that go into effect on month from today if Congress can not agree on measures to cut the federal budget deficit. On top of that, everyone's taxes will go up, even for those who are Romney rich. Sure, we've been told that democrat and republican leaders are working frantically to reach a compromise.  But we have also been told that extremists in both parties, such as Nancy Peolisi and most Tea Party-types, would prefer that we go over the fiscal cliff. (By the way, haven't the Democrats already driven themselves over the cliff by electing two-time loser Pelosi as house majority leader?) Yes, all of this is boo-scary.  But that's nothing compared to the sense of doom I get from the thing I fear the most - Christmas shopping. It's a jungle out there! Of course, if the Mayans were right, Christmas is a moot issue. Hey - I am feeling better already! X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 66 -- Maryland on the Move November 19, 2012 X As a proud graduate of the University of Maryland, I cannot claim to have any inside knowledge of the decision-making process that led to today's stunning announcement that the Terrapins are leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference some 59 years after becoming a charter member. I can, however, as a Maryland fan, give you some sense of how I feel about the Terps’ move to the Big 10 Conference in 2014. On the one hand, there is a degree of sadness. The ACC has been Maryland’s conference home for almost my entire life. I have many great memories of clashes with conference opponents in a variety of sports. For example, the Maryland-N.C State ACC Tournament final in 1974 is arguably the greatest game ever played.  It certainly forced the NCAA to finally expand its now signature March Madness field. The Terps have won 35 national championships in seven sports -- most of them under the ACC banner. However, on the other hand, the school’s administrators have been forced to address some tough realities. It is their judgment that the university’s best course for securing the financial future of its athletic programs lies within the Big Ten. While Maryland is a decidedly Eastern school, very different from its new Midwestern brethren, College Park is far more similar to University Park, Bloomington, and Champaign than it is with Raleigh, Clemson and Blacksburg. While there are excellent universities within the ACC, the Big 10 Conference provides Maryland students and faculty significantly more academic financial support than currently available. That, along with projected significant increases in athletic revenue, makes the move to the Big Ten look attractive and inevitable. I am not thrilled at the prospect of leaving Maryland's traditional rivals, but I am not frightened about charging ahead into new territories and new adventures, either. It is what it is and nothing I say will change it. So why not embrace the change and, as the Big 10 commissioner said today, embrace the Terps in their new habitat? X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 65 -- You Say You Want a Revolution? November 14, 2012 X It is been 150 years since the Civil War, and there are still lessons we can learn. However, there are other lessons from that struggle that would seem to be both quite obvious and completely settled, especially the one which says that if you're unhappy with the direction your country is going you can't pick up your marbles, go away and take your country with you. Unfortunately, there are thousands of our citizens that don't seem to grasp that concept. I am referring, of course, to the recent trend of secessionist movements that have sprung up across the United States following the reelection of President Obama. At last count, malcontents in 23 states, including my own Kansas,  have circulated petitions calling for their state to succeed from the union and form its own country. Essentially, these people do not like President Obama and are distressed about a future under his continued leadership. They also hate the Health Care Affordability Act (Obamacare) and the president's desire to trim the budget deficit through a balanced approach of cuts and taxes. Amazingly, these people believe that the president is un-American. However, the very act of seceding from the union is at the very least un-American, and one could argue that it is treasonous. If you believe in America and American democracy, then you have to accept the entire package: majority rule, representative government, federal oversight for the general welfare, and yes, even taxes. Isn't it ironic that at a time in our nation is poised to celebrate one of our greatest leaders with the release of the film Lincoln, thousands of our brothers and sisters would much rather follow the path of that flaming slave-holding idiot Jefferson Davis? Well, as they say, this is a free country. If these misguided souls wish to leave the nation, let them. However, they should be required to buy a ticket and go away. They may leave the country, but they don't get to take their country with them. Adios, suckers. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 64 -- Veteran's Day November 11, 2012 X I am not an idealist, but I can be idealistic. While I believe there is no such thing as a "good war,"  I believe some wars are just and necessary. I am also keenly aware that I am not a veteran of the armed services of the United States.  I graduated from high school in 1970, time when there was still an active military draft.  My draft number wasn't drawn, so I didn't have to serve. And with the Vietnam war still raging, I wasn't about to voluntarily jump into the fray. Our leaders had failed to clarify our national interest in Southeast Asia and I was damned certain that I wasn't going to embark on a fool's errand. But this does not mean that I do not have anything but a world of respect for my contemporaries who served our nation during that miserable war with dignity, only to be scorned on their return home.  America is a much different place than it was 40 years ago.  While most people are war-weary and wish our engagement in Afghanistan would end, we have learned to not take out our frustrations on the men and women who have served our nation there with courage and dignity. If anything good came out of the quagmire of Vietnam, that was it. Still, it was a horrible price to pay for a lesson we already knew in our hearts.  That is why I and many of my fellow citizens take every opportunity we have to thank the men and women in uniform for their service.  That also is why we must all be willing to care and comfort the children, spouses, families and friends of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.  It is fitting that a week which began with a contentious election now ends with a silent and solemn observance of those who sacrificed so much to perserve our freedoms.  We should honor them on this and every day through civil social engagement. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 63 -- The Lesson of Campaign 2012 November 7, 2012 X Barack Obama won reelection this evening because of a superior ground game - the best in history.  He basically took a page out of George W. Bush's 2004 reelection play book: Obama appealed almost entirely to his base. The upside: He won. The downside - a lesson Bush learned the hard way - was that he willfully accepted the political status quo, a deeply divided country. The campaign did nothing to heal that divide. That isn't entirely Obama's fault. Nor was it Bush's. Those were the political cards they were dealt.  But now, the President has to avoid Bush's error of mistaking a narrow victory as a broad mandate. So as not to repeat history, President Obama has to launch a new campaign to heal the nation. He really has no choice. Facing a budget sequestration with draconian cuts, the President and his allies in the Senate will have to come to terms with the Republican-controlled House. That doesn't mean Obama has to cow-tow to the GOP. But he cannot display the same level of arrogance he did during the failed budget negotiations in summer 2011. After all, the House members were also elected to lead. Speaking of arrogance, the Republicans will have to dial back their own dogmatic rhetoric. If they ever expect to govern again, they need to take a hard look at themselves.  Their anti-immigration and anti-women rhetoric came back to haunt them in this election, as did their pig-headed approach to tax cuts.  I agree with the pundits who say the Republicans lost this election during the protracted primary season.  By refusing to raise any taxes -- including, most famously, when all of the candidates said they could not accept a deal in which cuts outnumbered tax increases by a 10-1 margin -- they painted themselves into a nasty corner. The Republican Party has branded itself as the party of the greedy, heartless rich. It is seen as a party of the intolerant, the unforgiving and as a "whites only" club. As the Republicans look ahead to the future, they must wonder if they really have one.  They don't, if they do not recognize the diverse mosaic America has become. George W. Bush understood this. And, in his heart of hearts, I believe Mitt Romney did as well. However, Bush failed to get his party to follow him on a humane path to citizenship for undocumented resident aliens.  Romney's sin was that he didn't even try. That's why Latinos overwhelmingly voted for Obama.  They also have to divorce themselves from the narrow-minded Tea Party, which hijacked the GOP agenda and singlehandedly cost the Republicans a chance to win control of the Senate. So what is the lesson of Campaign 2012? It is that the country's politics are broken and that now is the time for tonight's winners to act with humility, for the losers to graciously accept the judgment of their fellow citizens and for all of our leaders call a cease-fire to two decades of partisan bickering.  We Americans are much better than that. We deserve better than that.  It is a time for all good men and women come to the aid of their country. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 62 -- And The Winner Is... November 2, 2012 X I'll bet you are dying to know who will win Tuesday's presidential election.  I know, and I'll be glad to tell you late Sunday afternoon. By then the score of the Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers game will be final, then we will all know. That's because presidential election lore has it that the incumbent wins reelection if the Redskins win their last home game before the election. That means the fate of the union now rests in the capable hands -- as well as arms and legs -- of Carolina's Cam Newton and Washington's Robert Griffin III.  Who knew that a couple of Heisman Trophy winners have that much power - especially since their two teams have a combined record of four wins and 11 loses? The Redskins - the "Democrat" team -- have a QB with less experience than his "Republican" counterpart.  So the football electoral model doesn't fit -- unless that experience we are talking about is business experience. Then it is, pardon the pun, a whole other ballgame.  In some ways, this political myth makes sense. Obama is a sure bet to win Washington, D.C.'s three electoral votes. That makes him a good fit to pin his hopes on the Redskins.  Carolina - North and South - are likely to go into the Romney column election night. While Mitt may win the Electoral vote battle at FedEx Field 24-3, odds makers have given the home team a three and one-half point edge.  The Panthers and the Redskins both have underperformed in recent years, as have Barack and Mitt.  And both teams are going to need a good ground game (get out the vote effort) with a strong aerial assault (TV commercials) to win the day (or election night). So does this "Redskins myth" carry any weight? I don't know. But if I were a Democrat and wanted Obama to hear "Hail to the Chief" on January 21, I'd start singing "Hail to the Redskins" right away. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 61 -- October Surprise October 31, 2012 X There's a cruel wind blowing this Halloween, and her name is Sandy.  She has been called "Superstorm Sandy" and "Frankenstorm," but, in many ways, she is 2012's version of the "Perfect Storm." A convergence of two weather systems and lunar high tides has left much of the Eastern seaboard in a shambles. At the time of this writing, approximately three dozen deaths have been reported and property damage has been estimated at between $20-30 billion dollars - and that may be conservative. Millions of people were at some time or another without power - and many still are and will be for days. Sandy is more than a late season hurricane or a nor'easter - she's also a political storm. Both President Obama and Governor Romney temporarily have stopped campaigning, although they have thought of other ways to get their faces on television. With less than a week to go in the election, this scenario plays into President Obama's hands.  Sandy's storm surge may have the unintended effect of halting Romney's surge in the polls.  Instead, everything is put on hold for a few days and the President gets to look presidential in directing the government's response.  This is not a criticism of Obama - it is just a fact of life. Incumbents are always at the advantage when they get to be seen doing their jobs, especially during crises. Another fact of life is that Obama will eventually come under criticism for an inadequate response - all incumbents do. However, that will likely come after next Tuesday, doing Mitt Romney absolutely no good.  This year's October surprise is Sandy. And in the parlance of the season, she may prove to be more of a trick for Romney and a treat for Obama. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 60 -- My Choice - 2012 October 24, 2012 X When all is said and done, Campaign 2012 hasn’t given the American voter much of a choice. It boils down to the choice between the guy who made a bunch of promises four years ago that he was unable to keep and a fellow who is making promises that common sense tells us he will be unable to keep. Four years ago, I voted for Barack Obama because I thought he represented real change. It appeared as if he had a mandate to eliminate the poisonous tone in Washington.  Four years later, the rancor is even worse – and much of the blame rests with him. Reasonable people question whether the job is too big for Obama. And his campaign's just-published "plan" for the future - a vision he should have articulated months ago - isn't really a plan and reeks of desperation. Eight years ago, I thought Mitt Romney was a moderate voice on the rise within Republican ranks. However, with the prevailing breeze within the GOP blowing to the right, Romney’s moderate positions are pretty much gone with the wind. In recent weeks, he has tried to move back toward the center, as has President Obama.  While I understand the difficulty both candidates face in trying to appease extremists in both of their parties, I cannot really trust what either one of them says these days. Both men are diminished in my eyes, leaving me wishing for a viable alternative and wondering if this is really the best we can do? I suppose the easy way out would be to not cast a ballot for president this year. However, how can I sit on the sidelines and demand that our leaders make tough decisions if I am not willing to do the same? It doesn’t matter that by living in Kansas, my vote won’t really make a difference. This is a “Red State” and nothing I say or write will change that on Election Day. However, I will know how I voted – and that will mean something to me. Despite any misgivings I may have, I believe that both men are basically decent human beings who believe they can do what is best for the nation. So it comes down to this: Has Barack Obama earned the right to serve another four years or is it time to bring in another guy to give it a shot?  Maybe Romney is truly a closet moderate. But is that hope reason enough to ignore the conservative babble he has been spouting since he first began running for President? While Obama’s performance during his first four years has been anything but stellar, he has been forced to confront a combative and reactionary Congress. Only one party leader on the Hill, Speaker John Boehner, has appeared willing to compromise. But the same forces that blocked Obama’s initiatives also shackled him. I think Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell are a bigger problem than the man in the White House. It is on this basis that I give President Obama a low passing grade, as well as my vote for another four years in office. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 59 -- Three Up, Three Down October 22, 2012 X I don't believe tonight's presidential debate substantially changed the trajectory of this race.  That's because foreign policy is way down the list of what people say are important in this election. That's why Barack Obama and Mitt Romney pivoted their answers to the economy every chance they got.  Because Obama is the Commander in Chief, he had the home field advantage in this debate. Despite that, Governor Romney held his own.  I did not catch any major gaffes by either candidate. That's not to say they didn't have their moments. Romney was very effective in correcting Obama's misrepresentations on statements he made about Russia and on the government's handling of the automakers' bailout. However, Obama effectively got in his digs on Romney's business relationships with China. And Romney still has to explain to my satisfaction how we cut taxes, build up the military and reduce the deficit. However, Romney may have accomplished his most important goal of the night. He didn't come across as the crazy bomb-thrower Obama had hoped to portray him. In fact, Romney sounded presidential - at least to those willing to listen.  But that's the rub: The number of people who are still listening is declining as we get closer to election day. There are still some undecided - and I am among them. Tonight's debate did not do anything to make my decision easier. I still have serious doubts about both men. There was no winner tonight - except for, maybe, Bob Schieffer. However, as this year's debates come to a close, there is one undeniable fact: Mitt Romney benefited from them far more than President Obama. He is much closer to beating the President than he was at the beginning of October. Whether it is enough to change the Electoral College math that currently favors Obama, I still have my doubts.  Romney may have won the debate battle, but Obama is still favored to win the war. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 58 -- Romney Prevails October 16, 2012 X President Obama clearly got his wake-up call.  He was more aggressive in tonight's presidential debate than he was in his absymal performance in the first. He called former Governor Romney's facts into question several times, most notably on their exchange over when the Obama administration characterized the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi as an act of terrorism. But despite his improved stage presence, Obama still faced the same problem he did in his first debate - he didn't answer the questions. For example, why wasn't the consultate's request for beefed up security left unanswered? That, to me, is a far more important question than who said what when. The President got in some good lines - calling Romney's economic proposals a "sketchy deal" being my favorite. However, when it came to "sketchy" promises, Romney nailed Obama.  In the strongest statement of the night, Romney chronicled the litany of promises the President made in 2008 upon which he failed to deliver.  Most devastating was Romney's question about immigration reform. Obama can't claim Republican interference on the issue when he did not even offer the legislation that he promised Latino voters he would introduce in his first year in office.  I didn't care for the debate format, which allowed a candidate responding to a question to make an outrageous claim, knowing full well he would then get to answer to the next question before his opponent would speak. By the time the other guy had the opportunity to rebut those claims, it would appear as if he were backtracking and off issue.  That happened during the China trade policy exchanges to Obama's temporary advantage. However, Romney eventually nailed Obama on that one, too. Obama has repeatedly demagogued Romney's business ties to China. It was smart for Romney to remind voters that Obama, too, through his retirement portfolio, has similar ties.  I am tempted to call tonight's debate a draw.  But Obama needed more than a draw. He is now trailing Romney by four points among likely voters in the latest Gallup Poll.  Swing states that had been settling into the President's column are now back in play.  Four years ago, when Obama essentially achieved a draw in his last debate with John McCain, I said that a tie goes to the front runner. If that was true then, it must be true now. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 57 -- The Under Card October 11, 2012 X Perhaps it was the intimate format.  Or maybe it was the firm, but calming presence of Martha Raddatz. However, tonight's vice presidential debate had fewer fireworks than I expected.  My impression was that Vice President Biden probably outscored Congressman Ryan on debating points.  However, there were no knockout punches and both got in a few zingers. Biden clearly has a more comfortable stage persona. He seems more sincere talking to the camera. His age also lent him an aura of credibility over his young, less polished opponent.  However, there were a few times when Joey from Scranton was condescending and snarly - a problem his boss had in his less-than-spectacular performance last week. For the most part, Ryan held his own.  And he wouldn't let Joey from Scranton bully him. (I could almost imagine an adolescent Joey trying bully away little Pauly's marbles on a hard-scrapple Irish Catholic-school playground.) There was actually one point during the debate that Biden wanted to quarrel with Raddatz. She deftly deflected it and the moment passed.  Four years ago, I felt that Joe Biden won a narrow victory over Sarah Palin in their veepfest. However - and this was the key - neither Biden or Palin did their side any real harm.  The same thing happened tonight.  I suspect both sides are happy with the performance of their guy. Biden may not have hurt the Democratic ticket, but there was nothing he could do tonight to repair the damage done by Obama's abysmal debate performance.  Only the President can do that. And for all his muscular boyish charm, blue-eyed Paul was only a stand-in for steely eyed Mitt. This was the under card. The real fight - round two, you could say - comes in a town hall format at Hofstra University next Tuesday. And this time, Obama had better answer the bell. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 56 -- The Punditocracy versus the Jockocracy October 9, 2012 X As one who has previously made a living talking and writing about sports and politics, I am often struck by the similarities found in both activities. "Punditocracy" is defined as the group of real and self-identified political experts who use the media to espouse their opinions. "Jockocracy" is a term created by the late Howard Cosell to describe former athletes (or athletic wannabes) who infest newspapers and television talking about upon sports - even those sports they never played.  (Terry Gannon, a starter on the 1983 North Carolina State NCAA basketball championship team, is ABC's figure skating commentator. Go figure.)  While there are individuals within both camps who break the mold and deserve our admiration (David Gurgan and Bob Costas come to mind), many of these "experts" are not shy about proclaiming their expertise at the top of their lungs.  (Chris Matthews and Steven A. Smith.) They are passionate about their opinions and are intolerant of those who do not share them (Ed Schultz and Jim Rome). Many of those advising politicians or coaches on how best to do their jobs were spectacularly unsuccessful in the same roles (Donna Brazile and Matt Millen). While the punditocracy generally has a greater demand of the English language than former athletes (or, as they like to pronounce it, ath-a-leets), the jockocracy is less likely to use its language skills to obfuscate the truth.  (Rich Gannon and Bill O'Reilly) Perhaps the greatest common thread is the lack of substance these talking heads bring to social discourse.  Too often they confuse heat with light, opinion with facts, and fantasy with reality. Just ask yourself this question: Would the public discourse improve if the Al Sharptons, Rush Limbaughs, Skip Baylesses and Jason Whitlocks of the world kept their muddled opinions to themselves? My answer: Sure it would!  Of course, you should keep in mind that I also am a card-carrying member of the punditocracy and jockocracy.  At least I know the difference between politics, sports and real life. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 55 -- Round One To Romney October 3, 2012 X I don't know how many minds were changed by tonight's first presidential debate.  I suspect those who have already picked their guy are still going to vote for him. Of course, those are not the people that President Obama and former Governor Romney targeted in tonight's lively showdown in Denver.  They were going for the undecideds - and tonight's debate gave those folks plenty to ponder. Mitt Romney was clearly the aggressor and took his case to the President and the people. On several occasions, he effectively cut off the President in mid-argument to -- in his view -- correct the record.  Of course, fact-checkers will be debating the claims of both candidates for weeks. The President was more reserved -- almost professorial.  Early in the debate, I thought Obama was somewhat cold and distant -- one of the knocks that has followed him for years. However, to his credit, the President was bringing his "A" game by the end of the debate.  My sense was that Romney scored well during the debate on tax and energy policy. The President's strong points came in the areas of Medicare and education.  In the end, Romney stood on the same stage as the President of the United States, was animated and, in my view, more than held his own ground.  The early take from the pundits on television -- including those in the President's corner -- was that Obama was not at his best.  He can afford that because I suspect that he will still maintain his lead in the polls.  However, I expect those numbers to narrow over the next few days. It was not a performance the President can afford to repeat. If anyone was looking for a knockout blow against Romney, they can forget it.  There is new energy in the Republican camp tonight and concern among Democrats. That's because round one went to Romney. The game is still on. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 54 -- The Upcoming Debates October 1, 2012 X This week's presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney is a pivotal point in Campaign 2012.  President Obama has a chance to "seal the deal" and, perhaps, generate enough enthusiasm for Democrats to make gains in both chambers of Congress.  For Mitt Romney, it is his best and last chance to reboot a faltering campaign.  For the first time, Romney will be on the same stage and will be on an equal footing with the incumbent president. As is often the case in incumbent-challenger races, look for Romney to aggressively attack Obama's record.  It is a high-risk, high reward strategy. Romney will have plenty of arrows in his quiver. Against a much stronger candidate, Obama's reelection would be in doubt. The economy isn't where he said it would be.  The tone in Washington is worse than ever. And the White House's recent stumbles in the Middle East have raised serious questions about Obama's ability to lead on the world stage. However, Romney's message -- and his starched white shirt personality -- haven't resonated with the electorate.  It's October and Romney still hasn't found his voice. He has to go after the President. However, if the former Massachusetts governor's attacks on Obama are too shrill, he will do more harm to his cause than good. Romney has a difficult balancing act - pinning down the President on a shaky record, while at the same time trying to convince voters that there is a warm, caring human being under that ocean of Vitalis. Obama's job during the debates is much easier.  The President is in the position of defending a defensible record. He can give a credible answer to Ronald Reagan's famous "Are You Better Off?" question - especially considering the state of the nation when his term started.  However, there's also danger in that strategy. Obama can't continue to blame George Bush for all ills.  Just as Vietnam went from being Lyndon Johnson's war to Richard Nixon's war, there comes a point when the buck has to stop in the Oval Office and Obama has to own-up to the sluggish economy. More than play defense, Obama, too, will have to go on the attack and go after Romney's record of inconsistencies. However, doing so runs the risk of showing Obama's oft-criticized streak of arrogance. Add to this the fact that neither man is a particularly effective debater. That's why both sides have being trying to downplay expectations. Since Wednesday is the first of three debates, Romney doesn't have to be seen as the "winner."  A break-even night would be a good night for him. However, if he comes out a perceived "loser" in his confrontation with the President, his candidacy probably will not recover. Tune in Wednesday night and judge for yourself. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 53 -- Horray for Hollywood? September 22, 2012 X If you are an Obama supporter, then you are singing in praise "Horray for Hollywood!" If you are a Romney supporter, not so much. Campaign financial disclosures show us what common sense has always told us: Hollywood loves Democrats and hates Republicans. A recent report from OpenSecrets.org, the website of the Center for Responsive Politics provides proof. In a report on the financial contributions of celebrities to the political campaigns of the two major candidates, it is Obama in a landslide. In fact, of the top 10 celebrity PACs listed by OpenSecrets.org, eight support democratic or liberal causes.  The direct contributions to the Obama campaign runs six pages. Among those contributing the maximum allowed $5,000 are names you know, including George Clooney, Leonardo Dicaprio, Will Ferrell, Ron Howard, Kirk Douglas, Jamie Foxx and America's favorite overrated lounge singer, Barbara Streisand. And Mitt Romney?  His list runs to seven - people, not pages. And none of them have given at the $5,000 level.  They include Vince McMahon, the professional wrestling promoter and Orson Bean, the actor. (Heck, I thought he was dead!) This disparity is part of a trend: OpenSecrets reports that liberal PACs are now outraising conservative PACs. Obama has outraised Romney $432 million to $279 million.  So much for the myth that Republicans are wealthier the Democrats.  I do not have any problem with anyone giving money to political campaigns - I actually agree with the concept that financial contributions are a form of free expression.  As to whom I will support, that is still undecided.  However, I can tell you one thing:  I do not take my political advice from people who make a living pretending to be someone they are not. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 52 -- Pennant Race Pressure September 19, 2012 X One of the lures of sports is the challenge athletes face in performing while under intense pressure. However, an underrated aspect of these "fun and games" is pressure fans face in these same situations. As a lifelong follower of the Baltimore Orioles, I am confronted by this reality this September.  It has been 15 years since my beloved Birds have been relevant this late in the season.  That’s a nice way of saying that Orioles fans have suffered through 15 straight losing seasons.  But not this year.  With a couple of weeks left in the regular season, Baltimore is in a pennant race where EVERY game matters. For the past 15 years, I could wait until the morning newspaper to learn game results. However, this year is much different. With so much on the line, I find myself checking ball scores every few minutes. Sometimes – such as this evening (or should I say this morning) – I take this behavior to extremes. As I write this, it is almost 3:00 in the morning and I am listening on satellite radio to the Orioles battling the Seattle Mariners into the 18th inning of a 2-2 game. Normally, I wouldn’t dream of engaging in such irrational behavior. After all, I do have a life outside of baseball. However, a victory this evening – I mean this morning – would move the Orioles into a first place tie with the New York Yankees. Come on -- Who can sleep when there is so much on the line? The pressure is on, my team needs me and I am up to the task. Are the Orioles? It will be a couple of weeks and the end of regular season before I know the ultimate answer to that question. But on this evening, my patience has been rewarded. Baltimore scored two runs in the top of the 18th and has won the game 4-2. The Birds are tied for first. Maybe now I can get some sleep. For now, the pressure shifts to Yankee fans. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 51 -- Only Half Right on Eygpt September 15, 2012 X Barack Obama and Mitt Romney having been speaking out this week on Libya, where four Americans, including our ambassador, were murdered by a mob of wannabe radical Islamics.  Obama and his administration have been correct to criticize the flash point of this irrational violence, a YouTube posted movie that mocks Muslims and doesn't let the facts get in the way of its muddled storyline.  Romney has been correct for criticizing the administration for its apologetic tone in the wake of this anti-American violence. I don't care if the apologies came before or after the Arab street exploded into its usual state of irrational frenzy.  When you are the victim, you don't apologize.  However, both Obama and Romney have been only half-right in these matters. While both in their own ways have spoken about the need for religious tolerance, neither has spoken about a basic American freedom and what the United Nations charter recognizes as a basic human right, freedom of speech.  I can understand why the irrational zealots of the Arab street can't differentiate between a privately produced video and official American pronouncements. People who do not have freedom of speech do not really understand it.  That's why Obama and Romney should explain it to the Islamic mob.  They should throw the free speech argument right back in their snarly little faces.  Ask them if they have enough food, water and sewer services?  Ask them if their economies are strong? Are they happy with the quality of the education their children receive? Ask them if they are as prosperous today as they were four years ago?  And if the answer to any of these questions is negative, ask them why they are not marching on their own capital and demanding more of their own government?  Remind them that it is easy to attack outsiders when you are impotent in your own backyard. Free and responsible speech is the real source of power in the world - and something these street jackals do not have.  Obama and Romney have gotten it only half right.  It is more than just about freedom of religion. It is about freedom of speech. And fellas, if you haven't checked, both are covered by the same amendment to the Bill of Rights - the FIRST one. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 50 -- More Than a Game September 10, 2012 X What would you say if I told you that there is a cartel operating in America which controls all of the major media outlets, is allowed to police itself in matters involving the use of illegal substances, blackmails communities into paying out millions of dollars in tax breaks for which taxpayers receive little or no tangible benefit, and blithely operates a violent enterprise that not only cripples and maims its employees, but uses the lure of riches to get young men in high school and college to do the same? Al Qadea? The Mob? No, I'm talking about the National Football League. The NFL is undoubtedly the most popular of the major American sports leagues, in much the same way the Sopranos were an admired American family.  We were reminded this weekend of the high costs associated with playing football, as Tulane safety Devon Walker remains in stable condition and will soon need surgery to repair the spine fracture he suffered while making a tackle during a game against Tulsa last Saturday.  Then there are the concussions, which rob players of the very essence of who they are and, in cases like former San Diego great Junior Seau, eventually result in death. And what are we doing as a society to address the increasing dangers of a lethal sport growing more and more deadly with bigger, stronger players wearing more deadly effective armor? The morons in Allen, Texas, just built a $60 million high school football stadium. Perhaps I shouldn't be so hard on them. They are just doing what officials in NFL cities have been doing for years: Building grand palaces for their weekend warriors to play that, despite claims to the contrary, have never demonstrated any tangible return to the taxpayers who foot the bill. (Still, I wonder if the principal of Allen High School threatened to move his school to another town if the community did not build the team a new stadium?) Where's the news media - our watchdogs - in all of this? They are in bed with the NFL.  ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox all have lucrative financial arrangements with the league.  Don't get me wrong - I like the game of football. And even though an ankle injury I sustained in 1969 playing high school football has had a dramatic effect on my future physical well-being, I hold no ill-will against the sport. I am even a season-ticket holder to University of Kansas football games.  However, when I see the political clout the NFL has over Congress at a time when people and communities are being adversely affected by the league's heavy-handedness, the time has come to reign in the monster. NFL officials will tell you that football is more than a game, it's big business. To that I say "yes, and so is the Mob." X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 49 -- The Conventions - Act 2 September 7, 2012 X The conventions are over and nothing has changed.  The Democrats concluded a successful convention in Charlotte last night. But, just like the Republicans a week earlier, I don't think they changed any minds. This convention was about firing up what had been a lethargic Democratic base. It is clear that Barack Obama is a gifted speaker with an almost evangelical zeal. However, if you read his speech - as opposed to listen to it - one is quick to realize that the man said absolutely nothing specific about how he was going to fix the economy and balance the budget. (That's the same charge I leveled at Romney a week ago.)  Just like the Republicans, the Democratic National Convention was more thematic than substantive. Vice President Joe Biden said it "took a lot of brass" for GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan to criticize Obama for rejecting deficit reduction proposals that Ryan, himself had proposed.  However, it takes no less brass for President Obama to take credit for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq when that was made possible by the Bush surge strategy that Senator Obama opposed. And isn't it cynical to spend much of one's speech talking about "taking responsibility" when your chief argument for the past three and on-half years has been that everything is George Bush's fault? After two weeks of conventioneering, there are two indelible images. The first is Clint Eastwood's schitck.  It may have seem disjointed at the time. But after last night's speech, I am buying into the empty chair metaphor. The second was the speech by former President Clinton, who made a defense of Obama that the President, himself, has failed to articulate.  Even Republicans were impressed by Slick Willie's performance. It also raised an interesting specter: That after two weeks, the only speaker who seemed to fire the imagine of American voters was the one guy constitutionally prohibited from running for a third term as President. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 48 -- The Conventions - Act 1 August 30, 2012 X The Republicans tonight concluded a successful convention in Tampa.  I don't think they changed any minds.  But for those who are not sure about their choice this November, they laid out a plausible case.  For those paying attention, they now know more about Mitt Romney than before.  Whether that's enough to carry the day remains to be seen. CNN commentator Gloria Borgia made a comment after Romney's acceptance speech that "this was not a red meat convention." That was exactly my thought. With the exception of a rambling Clint Eastwood and his empty chair, this convention was more thematic than vitriolic. It was also short on specifics. For example, I'd like to know how Romney will create the 12 million jobs he's promised. However, in fairness, President Obama hasn't been particularly forthcoming on his plans - or in achieving what he's promised.  Romney's most effective line - one based on Ronald Reagan's signature line from the 1980 campaign - was "if you felt that much excitement when Senator Obama was elected, why don't you feel that way now he is President?" People whose minds were already made up were not moved by Romney's rhetoric.  Nor will they be moved by what the President says next week. However, they were not the target audience for this convention. Romney was clearly going after the people who voted for Obama in 2008 and are disappointed in the President's performance. Did he sway them? Too early to tell. But he gave them something to think about.  Now its the Democrats' turn. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 47 -- Stupid Is As Stupid Does August 20, 2012 X After reading the front page of today's Kansas City Star, I can't help but congratulate myself for my excellent timing. It was only 10 days ago that I marched down to the county courthouse and changed my voter registration from Republican to Independent. As it turns out, that was just in the nick of time. Today's paper features stories of two Republican congressmen on the fall general election ballot doing things that cannot be described any other way than completely and utterly stupid. The political website Politico broke the story last night about Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), who went buck-bathing in the Sea of Galilee during a privately funded trip to the Middle East last year. (Just because it was privately funded doesn't mean Yoder should be flaunting his private parts.) Not since the days of Wilbur Mills and Fanne Foxe's flight to freedom in Washington's Tidal Basin have we witnessed such an act of naked aggression by a member of Congress. Yoder's actions defy description. But as bad as they were, they do not even begin to approach the pinnacle of stupidity reached by Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), who told a St. Louis television station that women have the biological ability to ward off pregnancy caused by rape.  Akin, who is leading incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill in their U.S. Senate race, just handed his incompetent and unworthy opponent the club with which she will beat his candidacy to death. (Using his logic, perhaps Akin should accept the inevitability of the beating he is about to take and lay back and enjoy it.) After reading the paper, two thoughts immediately came to mind. First, how is it that anyone with the whereto all and perseverence to get elected to the U.S. House of Representatives end up doing or saying things that are so completely and utterly stupid? Is it arrogance? Is it a total lack of moral judgment? Or did these people suffer a brain fart that revealed their true characters? Either way, Forrest Gump was right: Stupid is as stupid does.  My second thought was gratitude. I am grateful that as an Independent voter, there is absolutely no motivation for me to either understand or forgive the actions of these two mental midgets. These lapses of common sense would be be very funny if they didn't make such an incredibly sad statement about some of the people we have elected to run our country. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 46 -- Or So I've Been Told August 15, 2012 X I can no long contain myself. I'm as mad as heck and I'm not gonna take it any more. There's trouble right here in River City. That's trouble with a "T." That rhymes with "P" and that stands for plants. Yes, plants. As in "distressed plants." As you no doubt are aware, much of the nation, including our Wonderful Land of Oz, is suffering from a drought of Biblical proportions.  It's not only hard on the plants that we eat and that drive our agri-economy, it is murder on those small little gifts of nature (flowers and flower wannabes) over which my lovely bride labors. Maureen doesn't have a green thumb - her whole arm in green. (Not literally - that would be another issue altogether.) When the lovely Maureen learned that a local garden center was having a contest to identify the "best distressed plant," she jumped all over that like Jimmy crack corn and I don't care. (By the way, what kind of attitude is that?) Anyway, the person submitting a photo of the best distressed plant would get a fabulous prize - presumably an undistressed plant. My sweet Irish gardener submitted her photo and anxiously awaited to results of the contest.  Last weekend, word from high came down and it was not good.  She lost to a so-called distressed plant that wasn't distressed - it was dead.  Excuse me, she railed, dead plants and not distressed. They are dead. They feel nothing. At best, the alleged winning distressed plant was nothing more than silage. As the lovely Maureen explained her frustrations to me over dinner, her body shuttered at the ultimate humiliation.  "Do you know how many entries there were?," she rhetorically asked. With a voice dripping with disgust, she said, "Two." It was as if Jennifer Aniston had lost the title of Miss Douglas County Fair to Dog the Bounty Hunter.  Naturally, being the sympathetic and sensitive husband I am, I had to say something reassuring. So after I finished laughing, I reassuredly said, "Oh the outrage! Oh the humanity!" And the more I thought of it, the more I agreed with her.  It is a fact that a dead plant is not a distressed plant.  It is dead. All of its hopes and dreams were now little more than -- to conjured up Kansas imagery -- dust in the wind.  Think about it -- when we can no longer trust the folks at the garden center to do the right thing, civilization must be going to hell in a hand, er, flower basket.  It's an outrage, I tell you -- or so I've been told. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 45 -- A "Put-up or Shut-up" Election August 12, 2012 X Mitt Romney's selection of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan is a bold move that changes the focus of this election.  Up until now, Romney has tried to pin the economy on Obama, much like the President did on his predecessor. Obama's strategy has been to paint the Republican's presumptive nominee as an out-of-touch rich guy -- the "Bain" of our existence, if you will.  Frankly, both are losing strategies and the American people deserve better. With the selection of the Wisconsin Republican congressman as Romney's running mate, all of that has changed. The Democrats are now laser focused on Ryan's proposals to cut the federal deficit. And that may be a winning strategy. There is no way you can make meaningful cuts in the bloated federal budget without goring someone's ox. However, as the Democrats gleefully pour over the details of Ryan's proposals, they had better realize that Romney has laid a trap for them.  Republicans can now say, "Where are your proposals?  What specific cuts would you make?" Those are questions President Obama cannot dodge -- not with the dark shadow of sequestration growing in Washington. As you may recall, the President and congressional republicans reached a compromise last year over the federal budget: If the two sides do not reach an agreement over budget cuts and taxes by January 2012, then automatic draconian cuts would hit both military and social programs equally. They didn't reach an agreement, and the cuts will take effect in January.  Obama will still be President in January - at least for the first 20 days. Republicans and all voters, for that matter, have the right to ask what cuts the President will make. And let's forget this nonsense about the so-called Bush-era tax cuts. No matter how that issue is resolved will not fundamentally fix the budgetary black hole into which we have dug ourselves. Obama now has two choices, continue with his class-warfare without leadership approach to governing or he can tell us exactly what he will do. That, in turn, leaves American voters with a clear choice: Whose approach - or lack of an approach - will they choose?  Are they ready to engage in a serious debate on competing visions for restoring the nation's fiscal health, or are they content to let the two candidates continue to spew meaningless, mind-numbing and self-destructive rhetoric? It is time to put-up or shut-up. And the ball, for now, is in the President's court. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 44 -- A Declaration of Independence August 10, 2012 X Shortly after noon today, I walked into the Douglas County Courthouse and stepped up to the county clerk's counter. It took approximately two minutes to complete the paperwork required to officially exit the Republican Party. It was a pretty big step for someone who once worked for a Republican governor and actively worked to elect GOP candidates.  But that was 20 years ago. Since then, the Republican Party's focus has shifted. Back then, officials talked openly about broadening the appeal of the party - a "big Republican tent." Today, it is the opposite. Otherwise party faithful are branded as RINOs - Republicans in name only - if they don't support a restrictive and regressive social agenda. For me, the final straw came this week when Governor Sam Brownback led an effort to purge moderate Republicans from the state legislature -- the act of an ideologue, not a leader. So, as of today, I am officially an Independent voter. I have no interest in registering as a Democrat, the party I hold responsible for bringing an entitlement attitude to American culture and vitriolic class warfare to our politics.  As of today, I have no use for either party. One need look only at the lack of a gun control debate following this summer's horrific tragedies in Aurora and Milwaukee to understand why I consider both parties morally bankrupt. I will continue to do what I have always done, vote for candidates who best reflect my values and priorities. That may be difficult to do on November 6. When it comes to choosing the next President, neither Obama or Romney have made a strong case.  But I when go into the voting booth, it will be with a clear conscience and a strong sense of independence. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 43 -- The Not Ready For Prime Time Pollyanna President August 6, 2012 X Today provided me two more reminders why I am still undecided about whether I will vote for President Barack Obama's reelection. After considerable soul-searching in 2008, I decided Obama represented the real change in that race.  Four years later, I suspect that Obama is as much a champion of the status quo as John McCain was. Two news stories dominated the airwaves this morning. The first was the senseless slaughter at a Sikh temple in Milwaukee. For the second time this summer, a gunman has turned a place of retreat and refuge into a slaughterhouse.  And what has Obama done? Nothing.  He has offered few mindless platitudes -- the same thing Mitt Romney has done.  Neither leader has indicated a willingness to take on the National Rifle Association.  Why does any law-abiding citizen need a semi-automatic weapon - even one "legally" obtained? Why is the president unwilling to take on the NRA?  Does he fight only those fights he can win?   Where's the outrage?  Where's the leadership? Where's the change Obama promised?  The second reminder that Barack Obama is just another hack Chicago politician came with this morning's remarkable landing of the Mars probe Curiosity. Front and center was Obama science adviser Charles Holdren taking credit for reasserting America's preeminence in space.  Of course, Dr. Holdren didn't mention that the planning for this mission began within the first George W. Bush administration. Nor did the good doctor mention that it was the Obama administration that placed America's space leadership in jeopardy by gutting the NASA budget. Who mothballed the American space shuttle fleet? Of course, claiming false credit is par for the course for the Obama crowd. Just last week, the Obama administration proclaimed America's leadership in fighting AIDS in Africa -- building on an initiative launched by Bush. The president claims to have a far superior foreign policy than his predecessor. Unfortunately, no one - including the White House - has any idea what that policy is.  And we are constantly reminded that Obama got us out of Iraq -- by following the Bush surge plan that Senator Obama criticized during the 2008 campaign. The only consistency this administration has is taking credit for everything good that happens and blaming the rest on George Bush. Americans have a difficult choice to make this fall: To vote for either Mitt Romney, the human wind sock, or Barack Obama, our not-ready-for-prime-time pollyanna president. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 42 -- "What Choice Did We Have?" August 2, 2012 X If one needs reassurance about the character of the American people or the resilience of the human spirit, one need only visit with the people of Greensburg, Kansas. Ninety-seven percent of the town was destroyed by an EF-5 tornado on the evening of May 4, 2007.  About a dozen people were killed and scores of others injured. That easily could have been the end of the Greensburg story, but it wasn't. From the rubble rose a new Greensburg - one they like to say is stronger, better and greener. Five years after the the finger of God laid their community to waste, about half of the community's pre-tornado population has returned. There is a new downtown, city hall, theater, hospital and school.  New houses now fill lots where once were left only cement foundations. Windmills dot the landscape - a reminder that the new Greensburg is energy efficient. The facilities housing the Big Well, the world's largest hand-dug well, are now open. Powerfully symbolic of this town's spirit, the remains of a soda foundation from a destroyed drug store have been refurbished and now operate within the community's commons building. (And there is no better place to be than at a soda fountain when the temperature is 109 degrees in the shade.) Sure, many challenges still remain.  There is a shortage of housing -- needed for people to return home and to attract new businesses and industries. And, no doubt, there will be mental scars long after the physical ones have healed.  But Greensburg is back - thanks to a spirit embodied in the comment of a man I met at the soda fountain.  He had told me about all he had lost in the storm.  I replied that it was amazing how far Greensburg had come.  To that, he said, "What choice did we have?" X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X Vol. 6 No. 41 -- Random Thoughts July 28, 2012 X With the end of the summer school at KU, I finally get a chance to take a deep breath and ponder the many random thoughts that often flash into my mind. Some of it is heavy stuff – like Bill Cosby’s immortal question “Why this there air?” (Answer: To blow up volleyballs, basketballs and footballs.) Some of these thoughts are fanciful: Did the Williams sisters ever own any Barbies? And then other thoughts that are just one-shot wonders that somehow were swept into a sort of philosophical back-hole.  For example: Why is there a sidewalk on the roundabout at the West Lawrence exit to the Kansas Turnpike? Ringo Starr is undoubtedly the luckiest man on earth. Melinda Gates is the luckiest woman on earth. Queen Elizabeth II reminds me of my late mother. Mitt Romney should release his tax returns right after George Soros releases his. The folks at Chi-Fil-A make lousy politicians. But they also make a damn-tasty sandwich.  I’d pay good money to see MSNBC’s Ed Shultz wrestle New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. No one has done more to rehabilitate the image of George W. Bush than Barack Obama. Does Governor Sam Brownback really believe the voodoo economics he has been spouting or is he running for President in 2016? Why is Vladimir Putin such a schmutz? Why doesn’t Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos either sell the team or die?  (I am not picky) If Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, where does he stay when the ice melts?  Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near? Yup, I’m a deep thinker. And it keeps getting deeper and deeper all of the time. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. X x Vol. 6 No. 40 -- Shakespearean Nonsense July 27, 2012 A new comedy has opened in London just in time for the Olympic Games. Fittingly, it borrows its name from a Shakespearean classic: Much Ado About Nothing.  Its star is presumptive republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.  The role of buffoon is being played by British and, sadly, American media. Romney, who saved the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City from becoming - pardon the unintentional pun - an unmitigated disaster, is visiting London on the first leg of a three-nation international tour. All presidential challengers do this sort of thing to boost their foreign policy creds. Obama did it in 2008. On Wednesday, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams asked Romney if he thought the London Organizing Committee was ready for the start of the games. To paraphrase, Romney said that he's heard there's been concern expressed over security arrangements and we'll have to wait and see what happens. For the record, it was the British and American media that reported the failure of a private security firm to meet its personnel quotas. It was a fairly vanilla statement from a fairly vanilla fellow.  But to hear Prime Minister David Cameron and the London mayor - I think his name is Lord Blowitoutyurbutt - Romney had besmirched the integrity of the United Kingdom and the Queen, herself.  They huffed and puffed -- as did British and American media, and White House spokesman Jay Carney. And all proclaimed Romney's first foreign foray a failure. Never mind that this opinion has no basis in fact. Romney is being castigated for doing what he always does, saying nothing of substance. Of course, that's also what the media, British politicians and the White House are doing - saying nothing of substance. It is a Tempest and a Comedy of Errors. Our Midsummer's Night Dream is that despite Love's Labour Lost, the media will eventually focus on the real issues and look at the candidates Measure for Measure. Real news As You Like It. If they will do that instead of this nonsense they pass for journalism, then we can say All's Well That Ends Well. x That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 39 -- Aurora, Colorado July 21, 2012 I am in St. Louis this morning for an annual tradition that fills me with joy - the Fillman Family Reunion. But my thoughts this day focus on a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, the site of a horrifying act of random and senseless violence early yesterday. A young man, dressed as the Joker, opened fire on unsuspecting patrons at the midnight premiere of the latest Batman movie.  At last word, 12 people were dead and more than six dozen wounded in the madman's rampage. It is hard to get one's mind around such an event. I was pleased to read that both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney correctly read the mood of the country and, at least for now, suspended their political rhetoric. Both men spoke from the heart about the senseless nature of the tragedy and how this is a good time for all Americans to draw strength and resolve from the love they find within their own families. Soon, as it should, Obama's and Romney's rhetoric will return to the issues of the 2012 presidential campaign. Without a doubt, gun control will now join the other issues with which we will determine who will lead our nation for the next four years. As one with a deep abiding respect for the Constitution, I understand the need to protect the Second Amendment right to bear arms. But I cannot believe that the remarkable Founders of this nation envisioned creating a blank check to allow individuals to amass stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. And for those who use the wisdom of the Founders as an excuse for claiming the Second Amendment as being off-limits to interpretation or modification, let me remind them that it was those same Founders who also placed within the Constitution mechanisms for amending it. They understood that their remarkable document may require adjustments with the passage of time. If nothing else, Aurora reminds us that that a pattern of unprovoked and irrational violence will remain unbroken until someone has the courage to challenge the myopic National Rifle Association on the need to pass sensible gun control laws. For the love of God, let's follow the example Obama and Romney showed us yesterday.  It is time for a cease-fire. x That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 38 -- A Tale of Two Campuses July 13, 2012 On the same day the front pages of area newspapers are heralding the designation of the University of Kansas Cancer Center as a National Cancer Institute, they are also reporting on a independent review that has concluded that officials at Penn State University failed to protect victims of sexual abuse. What a sad contrast these news items present.  On the one hand, you have a university that succeeded in achieving a goal that has alluded it for three decades. The NCI designation immediately brings with it a $7 million grant over five years, as well as the prospect of attracting additional research dollars and research faculty to KU. Largely because of the leadership of former Chancellor Robert Hemenway, KU now joins an elite list of NCI-designated centers. As a sad counterpoint to the celebrations in Lawrence, there is no such joy today in State College. The report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh confirms the worst fears of Penn State faithful. It said that PSU officials at the highest levels, including the late legendary football coach Joe Paterno, put the interest of protecting the image of the school ahead of those of the young victims of sexual predator Jerry Sandusky. As is often that case in the world of crime and punishment, the cover-up became worse than the crime, itself.  In an effort to protect Penn State's previously squeaky clean image, these officials managed to trash the university's name and forever branded the Nittany Lions as the prime example of what it means to have what the NCAA calls "a lack of institutional control." And for Penn State, the agony is just beginning. There will be lawsuits. There is also talk about the NCAA dishing out the so-called "death-penalty" to the football program. I don't think it will go that far, but I am not sure if it shouldn't.  The reason I mention KU's achievement in the same breath as Penn State's failure is neither to gloat or stake a claim of moral superiority. Instead, I see it as a cautionary tale of two campuses: One where people came together against tough odds to serve a larger good and another where people were willing to trash their values to protect something that, in the long run, was not worth protecting. And on this day of stark contrasts, officials at every college and university - including KU - should look at Penn State and say "there, but for the grace of God, go I." x That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 37 -- The South Lawrence Trafficway July 11, 2012 A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a strongly worded ruling, sided with federal and state highway officials yesterday on the controversial issue of the South Lawrence Trafficway.  The SLT has been a bone of contention for three decades between those who see social and economic value in the roadway and those who fear it will damage the environmentally important Baker Wetlands. The court ruled what I have long felt, that the opponents had overstated their position.  The impact of the roadway on the wetlands would be minimal and would be mitigated by the creation of six times as much protected wetlands. Some at Haskell Indian Nations University had argued that the project would adversely affect sacred tribal lands -- a bogus argument when one considers that the tribal use of the area only dates back to same time the highway project was first envisioned. This argument is the functional equivalent of denying the state use of right of way of a church property because it somehow infringes on religious freedom.  The court didn't buy it, and neither do I. The SLT controversy is the product of radical environmentalism, opposition for opposition's sake.  The opponents of the SLT been willing to ignore the even worse environmental effects of doing nothing, the increased use of fossil fuels along the Clinton Parkway corridor and the resulting damage to the region's air quality. While a popular saying among environmentalist is to "think globally and act locally," the opposition to the SLT had the opposite effect.  Far more social harm has been done by delaying this project for the past 30 years than would have been done if the opponents hadn't been so determined to make "a statement," no matter how unworthy and futile it was.  The SLT opponents can still take the matter to the full U.S. Court of Appeals and eventually to the Supreme Court. However, the strong wording of the three-judge panel suggests that would be futile.  Perhaps the time has come for these folks to focus on the value of harnessing wind energy and abandon their less-than-noble practice of tilting at windmills for the sake of getting their names in the newspaper. x That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 36 -- A Letter from Mitt July 8, 2012 "I am running for President of the United States and because you are one of America's most notable Republicans, I want to personally let you know why." That's the first sentence of a "personal" letter I received this week from Mitt Romney. I was very honored to receive the letter and very honored to be described as "one of America's most notable Republicans." I am not sure what gives me the mantle of notability - it's not like I have voted for him or given him any money. I am also certain that he hasn't read this blog. I guess I got the letter because I am a registered Republican - at least for now. The letter goes on for four pages to tell me why my good friend Mitt should be elected president and why I should pitch in $100 or $250 or $500 or $1,000 or $2,500 "or even the maximum $5,000." If I really thought that my greenbacks would influence the outcome of the election -- or, at the very least, win me an ambassadorship -- I'd consider it.  But you can't help but wonder about the judgment of a man who asks an educator for money. (No one ever said, "I'm going to be a teacher. That's where the real money is!") Perhaps this is Mitt's way to provide a stimulus to the ailing U.S. Postal Service.  At least Mitt isn't doing what our president is doing, holding a raffle for an opportunity to met and greet Commander in Chief Barack.  Both Mitt's letter and Barack's raffle are legal -- and incredibly cheesy. As I have said before, I am going to keep an open mind on Campaign 2012.  I want to see these two guys side-by-side in a debate. I want to know who Romney's running mate is going to be.  And I certainly am not going to make my voting decisions based on flowery campaign literature, nasty commercials or the inflammatory rhetoric of failed politicians-turned-pundits. If I were going to answer Mitt's "personal" letter, I'd advise him to stop wasting his and my time on such a hokey fund-raising gambit. And stop telling me what President Obama has or hasn't done. Tell me what YOU are going to do.  While I'm at it, I might drop a note to my good friend Barack.  I'd tell him that if he expects to get reelected by continuing to blame George W. Bush for everything from the economy to the Cruise-Holmes divorce, he might as well start selecting drapes for his presidential library. Does someone need to remind these guys that they are running for President of the United States and not for treasurer of the local Elks Lodge?  While Romney "believes in America" and Obama is "betting on America," I am growing increasingly bored in America. x That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 35 -- Memories of the Fourth July 4, 2012 It was 50 years ago today - July 4, 1962 - that I experienced one of my favorite Independence Day memories.  I spent that day in Washington, D.C., with my oldest brother, Carey. I was nine-years-old at the time and Carey was in his early 20s. Despite the age difference, Carey was always generous to his youngest siblings. On this day, I had the rare opportunity to spend the entire day alone with my "biggest" brother.  Although time dims much memory, there are aspects of the day I remember as if it happened yesterday: the visit to the White House, traveling to the top of the Washington Monument and the spectacular fireworks on the National Mall.  I specifically remember one fireworks display that read "JFK Welcomes You." This is a significant upgrade from my usual Fourth of July fare: sitting on our dock on Tar Creek waiting for the fireworks to begin at the Oxford Yacht Club nearly two miles away. I did not have many more opportunities to spend Independence Day with Carey as he passed away in 1969. There are other Independence Days that stand out in memory. The Bicentennial in 1976 comes to mind -- the hottest day of the year in Middle Georgia. It was also the day my wife chose to pickle cucumbers, a process that turned our tiny apartment into a steam bath. That memory always provides a good laugh, as did 1988, when my four-year-old daughter waited anxiously for the fireworks to begin at Garner (North Carolina) High School, only to panic and demand to go home once the first shell exploded. Several July Fourths have coincided with Fillman Family Reunions. There also was Chicago in 2006, when Jan and I nearly froze on Navy Pier waiting for the start of fireworks. As fate would have it, that was our last fourth together before her untimely death.  Just three years later, I would spend the Fourth at my sister's summer place at Barnegat Light, New Jersey, with my future wife Maureen, making it our first Fourth together. Carey and Jan are both gone. But on this July Fourth, they are not forgotten.  These memories, along with a thousand others, are woven into the fabric of what makes this day, the birthday of the greatest nation on earth, even that more special. X That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 34 -- High Drama, Low Comedy June 28, 2012 It's been a huge day in Washington.  The U.S. Supreme Court this morning narrowly voted to uphold the Affordable Care Act a/k/a Obamacare.  That it was a five-to-four margin was no surprise.  That Chief Justice John Roberts provided the swing vote was.  Roberts' deciding vote was based on peculiar logic; that while mandatory health insurance may violate the commerce clause of the Constitution, the mandate is really a tax and, therefore, is permitted. A lot of pundits have said that this will work in favor of President Obama as he seeks reelection.  I happen to think it is awash - neither side has a real advantage.  While Obama can hang onto the singular legislative achievement of his first term, Mitt Romney can point to Roberts' ruling and say, "I told you this was a tax increase." And the decision will likely generate enthusiasm among partisans on both side of the debate.  I thought a more interesting spectacle occurred this afternoon, when a majority of House Democrats -- led by two of the most radically ineffective legislators on Capitol Hill, Nancy Pelosi and Emanuel Cleaver -- abandoned their posts.  They walked out of the Capitol as the House, including a couple of dozen democrats, voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt for failing to turn over documentation in the ludicrously stupid "Fast and Furious" gun sting. And while it was true that the idea was first conceived in the Bush administration, it was Holder's Justice Department that carried it out -- and did so in a tragically inept fashion. The Obama administration blaming Bush for Fast and Furious is like Kennedy blaming Ike for the Bay of Pigs. The fact is that Obama approved the plan for selling guns to Mexican drug lords and he is one with the blood of a dead American law enforcement officer on his hands. Democrats walking out of the Capitol - in essence, refusing to do their jobs - is just as contemptible an act as Holder's stonewalling. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 33 -- Rebooting Campaign 2012 June 27, 2012 Whenever my computer freezes and halts my efforts to get something done, I follow the geek's first rule of computer repair: reboot.  More times than not, powering down and starting all over again seems to do the trick.  I can't help but wonder if doing the same thing couldn't help fix what appears to be a tragically flawed Campaign 2012. So, I am pulling the plug, going back to square one and asking my fellow Americans to start with some basic assumptions.  First, Barack Obama is not a Muslim, nor is he a Kenyan. He is an American Christian -- as is Mitt Romney. Anyone who says anything different about the two leading candidates for president flies in the face of fact and long-established theological doctrine. Barack Obama is not an evil socialist. If you think being one who advocates aggressively using government to better the lives of the downtrodden should re-read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Mitt Romney is not an evil businessman. How is making difficult judgments that result in people being laid off less morally defensible than a president making difficult geo-political decisions that result in placing our armed forces in harm's way?  The fact is that making business decisions are not that much different than making political decisions: You do the best you can with the information and resources you have. While Republicans and Democrats have legitimate philosophical differences, they share common goals. The fact that one group choose a different path over another may give one reason to vote a particular way.  But that does not give anyone cause to demonize the other party. And one more truth for you to ponder: The politicians are not responsible for the sorry state of our nation. You are. If you hate huge deficits, stop demanding your government give you something for nothing. Stop demanding that government stick its nose in other's people's business. Ultimately, everyone will have to answer for his or her own behavior. If you are truly religious, isn't the morality of being gay or having an abortion ultimately up to the Creator? And if you believe in a Creator, who appointed you judge and jury? And if you are not religious, then what does it matter?  There are serious problems facing our country. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are good men with different visions for the future. I said different visions - not evil visions. And the fact that one man traveled with his dog in a crate on the roof of his car while the other ate dog meat as a child has absolutely no bearing on either man's fitness to be president.  And if you do think any of this stuff matters, please do yourself and our nation a huge favor: Please stay home on election day. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 32 -- The Social Media Summit June 25, 2012 I was privileged to attend the 2012 Academic Summit hosted by Edelman, the world's largest public relations agency, last week. The focus of the conference was social media.  Appropriately, the meeting took place at Stanford University in the shadow of Silicon Valley. The amount of information I received over three days was staggering - too much to relay in just one post. Some of what I heard was simply amazing, such as the 3D printers already in use to provide customer-specific products from tiny hearing aids to personalized M&M candies. Dr. Paul Saffo of Stanford told the 90 college professors present that we have moved from a "consumer economy" to a "creator economy," one  driven by people who consume what they create - what Saffo called "the essence of social media." We sometimes forget that this is not a "something for nothing" world. When we gather news or play free games on the Internet or iPhone apps, we are engaged in a trade off - exchanging media content for personal data. It is the accumulation of that personal data that powers individual consumer focused marketing efforts. And what social media marketers know about us as individuals is almost frightening. Asif Khan, founder of the Location-Based Management Association, said this warehousing of personal information - such as where you shop or the time and duration of your web surfing - is not an invasion of privacy. "If you have opted in, you opted in," he said. "Privacy doesn't exist." It's a brave new world out there. And for a few hours last week, I felt like I had a front row seat for the big show. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 31 -- The Oh-Dark-Thirty to Nowhere June 23, 2012 I love to travel - most of the time. This is not one of those times. It is 3:47 on a Saturday morning and I am sitting in Terminal C of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and Bed and Breakfast. For reasons unknown, I am stuck at DFW for the night. The reasons are unknown because the airline I am flying back home from San Francisco hasn't bothered to tell me why my plane was delayed three hours and I missed my connecting flight. (I would tell you the name of the offending airline, but that would be un-American.) For the last five hours, I have done what a few dozen other homeless travelers have done - try to amuse oneself while patiently waiting for the hope of a new dawn. Poor, lost souls huddled into dark corners or camped on uncomfortable seats - all waiting for salvation. For exercise - and to keep myself awake - I have ridden DFW's Skylink, a train that moves travelers between terminals. By the way, did you know that an empty tram car makes one's singing voice resonate like Tony Bennett?  ("I left my heart in San Francisco....")For me, it was the Oh-Dark-Thirty to Nowhere. Face it, at 3:47 a.m., Terminal C is no more exciting than Terminal A.  No food places are open. The vending machines mock you - and don't work. And the custodial staff ignores - or even worse, takes pity - on you. And there are still three hours until my flight home. I hope. So I have been told. Did I say I love to travel? That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 30 -- Right Choice, Wrong Reason June 16, 2012 As I said in my last post, President Obama has some explaining to do. Last time, I wanted an explanation about his wimpy response to national security leaks within his administration.  This time, it is about the timing of his announcement of a major change in immigration policy.  The president announced yesterday that he would no longer deport the non-citizen children of illegal aliens.  His rationale - one with which I am in agreement - is that the children are innocent pawns in the struggle over immigration. I applaud the decision. But what took Obama so long?  Everyone - and I mean everyone - in Washington sees this as a transparent attempt to court the Hispanic/Latino vote in the fall election.  One can't help but wonder why this decision took so long? Let me posit an answer: political desperation. Until recently, the Obama campaign had been operating under the assumption that "if they loved me in 2008, they will vote for me in 2012." However, Obama's people have lately come to the realization that this is not 2008 and that his support is less energize and much softer this time around. Even if some of his 2008 voters don't switch horses and vote for Romney in the fall, Obama's team is concerned that they many not come out and vote at all. Only now does the president see the need to energize his liberal base.  This belated announcement is part of an unfortunate pattern.  His recent "revelation" of support of gay marriage - a conviction I suspect he has had for many years - may, in hindsight, have been a cleverly orchestrated effort to shore up sagging gay support. When Vice President Biden painted Obama into the corner on the issue of same-sex marriage, it may not have been a political stumble at all. It may have been a way for Obama to signal his support of the gay community without aggressively embracing its agenda.  That's old school Chicago politics, which should not be mistaken for as presidential leadership. Even when he does the right thing, he does it for the wrong reason. As I said in my last post, while Obama is no different than his most recent predecessors in this regard, that's not the point.  He promised he would be different - and that's what is so disappointing. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 29 -- White House Leaks June 13, 2012 President Obama has some explaining to do.  There have been serious leaks of sensitive and highly classified information attributed to "White House" or "Obama administration" sources.  That these leaks have portrayed the president in a politically advantageous way can lead reasonable people to wonder if Obama or his minions are playing around with national security to win an election.  The president has said he deplores leaks and his Justice Department is investigating them. For now, I am willing to take the president at his word. But make no mistake about it, the nature of these leaks is far more serious than those that landed Scooter Libby in jail.  Libby outed a CIA undercover agent - one with an unusually high public profile - and went to jail for it.  These most recent leaks have seriously undermined our efforts to contain Iran's clandestine nuclear program and resulted in the jailing of a confidential informant in Pakistan. While it is fashionable to blame George W. Bush for everything - and, by all appearances, that continues to be Obama's most viable reelection strategy - the fact remains that the former president handled the Libby matter correctly.  He appointed an independent counsel who vigorously prosecuted the matter. And despite intense pressure from his vice president, Bush declined to pardon Libby. President Obama has chosen to have Attorney General Eric Holder, an Obama confidant and partisan, conduct the inquiry. Frankly, this does not instill a lot of confidence.  It is part of this President's pattern of placing partisan considerations above the public's best interests.  And while Obama is no different than his most recent predecessors in this regard, that's not the point.  He promised he would be different - and that's what is so disappointing. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 28 -- Getting What They Deserve June 9, 2012 One can't help but chuckle when reading this morning's local newspapers.  Kansas legislators and members of the state's congressional delegation are described as "scrambling" to figure out the impact of newly redrawn election districts.  While there are important changes in the state's four congressional districts, the real impact will be felt under the dome of the State Capitol in Topeka. All of a sudden, 25 of the state House of Representative's 125 districts have no incumbents, while 40 current members are now thrown into districts where there are other incumbents. In the state Senate, there are four vacant districts and four districts where incumbents will face incumbents.  The legislative realignment was announced just this week by a federal three-judge panel forced to draw the lines because the conservative House and less conservative Senate could not agree on a map.  Secretary of State Kris Kobach, responsible for the state's elections, said yesterday he was sticking to the original Monday noon deadline for filing for office. And the best part of this two-bit drama: The legislators did this to themselves.  By failing to reach a compromise on a legislative redistricting map, they left the matter up to a group of judges who were willing to do what the lawmakers should have done in the first place, draw an equitable map without regard to petty partisan concerns.  The only objection that I have with the three judges' decision is that they didn't go far enough.  The General Assembly was constitutionally required to draw a new map based on the latest census figures.  It failed to do so.  In any other endeavor, workers are fired when they don't do their jobs.  The judges should have barred every state legislator from seeking public office on the grounds of dereliction of duty. None of them, Republicans or Democrats, deserve to hold public office - ever. Of course, the judges didn't go that far.  We will have to content ourselves with the knowledge that at least some of these laggardly lawmakers will not be returning to the scene of their crime next January. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 27 -- A Campaign in Crisis June 5, 2012 Make no mistake about it: President Obama's reelection is in jeopardy. Today's Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election results have sent a chill throughout the corridors of the White House. The failure of the traditional Democratic coalition of labor unions and public employees to oust Republican Scott Walker may a bellweather of things to come.  Despite a concerted and, at times, nasty get-out-the-vote effort, the Democrats were unable to out muster Republicans and their Tea Party allies.  One indicator of White House concerned is how it began to downplay the importance of the Wisconsin vote even before the polls were closed. The failed recall effort is just one of several storm warnings that have surfaced this week. The Gallup Poll reports that more Americans feel Mitt Romney would do a better job handling the economy than President Obama. Gallup also reported that Obama's May approval rating was a 47 percent -- suggesting a tight election in the fall.  There are also signs that the turnout among voters under 30, a group that went decidedly for Obama four years ago, will be much lower than 2008. The devastating May jobs report also handed the Obama campaign a serious body blow. It has been two years since Obama's "recovery summer" and the jobs outlook remains bleak. One commentator this week noted that Romney "created" more jobs in Massachusetts during his first three years as governor than Obama has nationwide in his three years as president.  (Of course - that's a bogus indicator: Presidents and governors don't really create jobs.  However, that's yet one more talking point denied Obama.) As if the president doesn't have enough problems, he is now getting pot shots from no other than William Jefferson Clinton, who appears to be as loyal to this president as he has been to his wife.  Clinton has been praising Romney's business experience at the same time Democrats have tried to trash it. Yes, it is only June.  There's a lot of campaigning still to be done. The Democrats have time to right the ship. And, as we all know, the Republicans have a special ability to shoot themselves in the foot.  However, one thing is clear: Obama cannot win another term by running against the record of George Bush. He has to stand on his own. W has left the building - as will Obama if he can't breathe life into what is an increasingly moribund campaign. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 26 -- Poems, Prayers and Promises May 29, 2012 "I've been lately thinking about my life's time. All the things I've done and how it has been" -- the opening line of one of the late John Denver's earliest compositions, Poems, Prayers and Promises. The lyrics continue, "And I can't help but believing in my own mind that I'm going to hate to see it end." With my 60th birthday coming up later in the year, I am acutely aware that I am closer to the end of my life than the beginning. And while I am not particularly transfixed on the end of my days, I do find myself taking account for what I have -- and have not -- accomplished and the legacy, if any, I might leave. I really like the optimism of John Denver's song, especially when he wrote "The changes somehow frighten me. Still I have to smile. It turns me on to think of growing old." Of course, Denver, himself, never got the chance to grow old. He died in the crash of an ultralight aircraft he piloted in 1997 at the age of 53. And for all of the professional success he enjoyed, his personal life was tumultuous. While I admire the optimism of those lyrics, I don't entirely agree that growing old excites me. All I know is that aging is not for sissies, but is much better than the alternative. However, I am in full agreement with the lyrics that say "there are so many things I'd like to do and still so much to see."  As long as one has goals and aspirations, life is meaningful.  It is when we stop dreaming and become place-holders in society that we lose out on the thrill of waking up to greet each new day.  Like most people, I have achieved some of my dreams and failed to reach others. In some cases, I reordered my priorities -- or had them reordered for me.  But as I approach my 60th birthday this fall, I am aware of both my mortality and aspirations. And it seems right, as Denver wrote, "to talk of poems and prayers and promises and things that we believe in. How sweet it is to love someone. How right it is to care. And what about tomorrow? And what about our dreams and all the memories that we share?" That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 25 -- Brownback's 2016 Gamble May 23, 2012 In case you haven't noticed, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has already begun his campaign to secure the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Brownback, who was one of the first candidates in and one of the first out during the 2008 presidential campaign, has decided to position himself as the conservative choice.  How else can you explain the reckless gamble he took yesterday by signing into law a tax cut that only the most fiscally conservative among us do not believe it will bankrupt state government? There is a broad range of critics who fear the state has embarked on a path that will cripple schools, social services and everyday government operations. Republicans, democrats and the state's non-partisan legislative research staff say that the tax cuts will lead to a budget shortfall by July 2014 that could grow to a range of $2.5 billion to $3 billion by July 2018. That timing is significant, because the shortfall will first be noticed as Brownback is running for reelection.  He says the shortfall will not come - that it will be made up through a combination of tax revenue increases spurred by the tax cuts and a tightening of the state budget. If he is correct - or even if the negative effects of these cuts come later than projected - his reelection should be safe. That, in turn, will position him for a 2016 presidential run, especially if Obama wins reelection. Should the state's economic conditions go south earlier than his critics suggest, then Brownback's reelection as governor becomes an open question. I am not an economist. As I wrote on May 1, I am a graduate of the Wantin' School: If you be wantin' something, you have to pay for it (See Vol. 6 No. 21).  Here's where Brownback's two terms in the U.S. Senate may be working against him.  The governor appears to still have the Washington mindset: Buy now, pay later.  There's no requirement that the federal government balance the budget. And if the feds don't have the money for certain services, they let the states take care of it. Unfortunately, states like Kansas have no such backstop. They have to pay their bills or cut services. And if you are one of those poor folks who recently had to stand in line for hours to get your license tags renewed - that's what we mean by a cut in services. I believe that Governor Brownback is an honorable and decent public servant who wants what is best for the people of Kansas.  I also see him as a compassionate Christian.  But, when it comes to his political ambitions, I believe he is acting like a riverboat gambler playing with house money. Unfortunately, more than his political future is on the line in this high stakes game. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 24 -- Johnny Carson May 16, 2012 The Public Broadcasting Service ran an outstanding biography of the late Johnny Carson on its American Masters series this week. It brought back a wave of fond memories of a man who directly and indirectly had a tremendous influence on my life.  I was in high school when I "discovered" Carson. He was everything I wanted to be - handsome, glib, admired and humble. I read a biography of him and it reinforced my admiration.  Carson, like me, was inherently shy. We also shared a lack of self-confidence.  It was from Carson that I learned the value of self-deprecating humor. He also inspired me to seek a career in broadcasting. Sure, I envisioned myself as the "next Johnny Carson." Of course, that was pretty foolish - there was only one Johnny Carson. As I grew older and learned of the power of journalism, my career direction changed. However, it was Johnny Carson who provided its initial inertia.  Everything after that is chaos theory: Broadcast journalism, public relations and then college professor.  Indirectly, he influenced more than my career.  Without the pursuit of broadcast career, where I have gone, the people I met and the person I became would have been quite different.  Does Carson get all the credit - or  the blame - for who I have become?  Of course not.  However, he was the one who first ignited the spark that became my career. For that, I owe the King of Late Night a lot. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 23 -- Pandering Cowardice May 13, 2012 For me, at least, last week became a metaphor for much was what is wrong with the American nation. One issue dominated the news last week - same-sex marriage.  First the vice president and then the president thrust it front and center in the nation's political debate.  Mitt Romney and the social conservatives he is trying to woo then jumped into the fray.  It's an easy issue to get people riled up about - which is precisely why the politicos are arguing about differing interpretations of morality when there are more pressing and appropriate issues on the table.  Who made government the arbiter of right and wrong?  At what point do we, as individuals, get to decide?  I thought about that - a lot - while I was waiting two and one-half hours this week in line to pay for my car tags.  Motorists all over Kansas were subjected to incredibly long delays in renewing their licenses because the state Department of Revenue switched to a new computer system without adequately training anyone in its use.  Why would the state do this? First, it sees the new system as a means to lower state government costs by pushing all of the data input to the county government level. Second, because data input is now a county responsibility, it is no longer the state's problem. And who bore the brunt of the public's anger?  The poor county clerk who had absolutely nothing to do with creating this mess. This is why I see the past week as a metaphor -- we have a government that prefers to dwell on emotional social issues than deal with the stuff that, for most people, really matters.  Talking about abortion, same-sex marriage and immigration is a lot easier than actually creating better schools, building safer roads and bridges or providing other services that fall in the realm of government responsibility. I believe that a majority of Americans have reached a consensus on most of the social issues -- one that is somewhere between the extremes.  Americans favor a limited right of abortion, but are unwilling to provide a blank check. Americans favor civil unions without regard to gender, but they don't want the government to tell them whether or not it is the moral equivalent of traditional marriage. As for immigration -- most people understand that a free society must have open doors, just as long as the people coming here follow reasonable rules. Yet for all of the American public's common sense, the political agenda has been surrendered to extremists, liberal and conservative, who are rendering government impotent. Our so-called political leaders are complicit in this hijacking because they know that arguing about things that are, for most people, intangible, is a lot easier than actually doing the tangible stuff that affects us all. Obama, Romney, Brownback, Kobach - they are all guilty of mistaking pandering cowardice for real leadership. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 22 -- No Drama Obama? May 7, 2012 Barack Obama won the presidency four years ago because he ran a near-perfect campaign. Sure, a crumbling economy, an unpopular incumbent and a Republican opponent who made an incredibly stupid choice for a running mate helped. However, Obama didn't suffer from any self-inflicted wounds. The Obama campaign was a finely-oiled machine. But that was then and this is now.  And the days of "No Drama Obama" seem a distance memory. The events of the past 24 hours are illustrative. For months, the president has been walking a tightrope. He wants - no, he needs - the support of the GLBT community.  And he also needs the support of the black community. While those two constituencies have many interests in common, they have one significant point of conflict: same sex marriage. Obama also knows that it is an issue that can mobilize conservative Republicans who have been, at best, lukewarm to Mitt Romney. A debate over same sex marriage is last Obama wants or needs.  Enter Joey from Scrantron, his truculent Vice President who emphatically pushed his boss into the fray this weekend on Meet the Press.  He unequivocally gave his support of same sex marriage. Then Education Secretary Arne Duncan voiced his support for it this morning in an MSNBC interview. "Obama aides worked to manage any political fallout," the Associated Press reported. "They said the back-to-back remarks by two top administration officials represented personal viewpoints and were not part of a coordinated effort to lay groundwork for a shift in the president's position." So on a day when the president should be touting the first monthly federal revenue surplus in three and one-half years, he and his minions were trying to pry Biden's and Duncan's feet out of the president's mouth. Meanwhile, two groups the President relies on for support are becoming increasingly disillusioned while the people who desperately want to beat him are becoming energized. Not bad for a day's work. And it is only May. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 21 -- The Wantin' School May 1, 2012 I am not an economist - nor do I play one on TV.  I did not attend the famous Wharton School.  Instead, I am a graduate of the School of Hard Knocks with a masters degree from the Wantin' School.  And the driving economic philosophy instilled into graduates of the Wantin' School is that if you are wantin' something, you have to pay for it. It doesn't take an Alan Greenspan to know that stuff costs money. And in the real world, you have to pay for stuff.  Of course, government exists in a surreal world where we can run enormous deficits, leaving the bills for someone else's grandkids.  What the federal government has done under Bush and Obama has been obscene.  But now Kansas Governor Sam Brownback wants to follow the same path.  He has proposed tax cuts that could grind a $612 million state budget surplus into a $911 million deficit within five years. Of course, the Kansas constitution wouldn't allow him to run deficits. That means nearly a billion dollars in budget cuts from state spending. I do not believe that Kansas state government is a lean, finely run machine.  I am certain there is some fat that can be cut.  But I also know that economic prosperity -- the excuse behind the Brownback tax cut proposal -- comes with a price.  You have to have good schools to educate future generations of business leaders and workers.  You have to have a strong road, water, sewer and energy infrastructure to support economic activity.  Government should be in a position to foster new initiatives through grants, loans and, yes, even the occasional tax break. And we have to figure out a way to fuel our economic growth without fouling the land, air and water we need to survive.  This is what I want in my future. And I suspect Governor Brownback wants that, too. But running up a deficit and slashing programs to pay for it will not achieve that. Governor, it is important for you to remember the prime directive from the Wantin' School: If you are wantin' the same future I'm wantin', we will have to pay for it. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 20 -- A Failure to Lead April 28, 2012 Unless the U.S. Congress acts by this summer, the interest rates on federally subsidized student loans will double.  Both Democrats and Republicans agree that this wouldn't be a good idea and seem posed to act to prevent it from happening.  As is often the case, money is the issue. It will cost $6 billion to forestall the rate increase. One would think that President Obama, who ran for office on the promise of trying to change the tone of politics in Washington, would have jumped at the chance to be seen as someone trying to bring the two parties together on this issue for a common good.  Even if he had tried and failed to bring a compromise, it would have been good politics and good for the country. However, Obama took the course he has repeatedly taken during his three years in the White House. He jumped on Air Force One and, on the taxpayer's dime, traveled to college campuses in important swing states to drum up a controversy where there hadn't been one. “The president keeps attempting to invent these fake fights because he doesn’t have a record of success or a positive agenda for our country,” House Speaker John Boehner said on Thursday. “It is as simple as this: The emperor has no clothes.”  When House Republicans then passed a plan to extend the lower student loan rates from unspent Obamacare funds, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi accused the GOP of stealing from women's health care programs as part of the Republicans' wider war on women.  This is not leadership.  Nor is it the change Obama promised. It is yet another act of desperation from a hack Chicago politician who has yet to demonstrate that he is the leader he said he was going to be.  There are a lot of reasons for voters to reelect President Obama. However as we move deeper into the general election campaign, this President seems insistent on giving us reasons to give his challenger another look. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 19 -- Reality TV: An Oxymoron April 18, 2012 There are three reminders today of why television should never be confused with reality.  The first, ironically, came from television, itself.  In a PBS Frontline report last night, viewers were shown convincing evidence that criminal forensics dramas such as CSI, CSI Miami, CSI New York and CSI Tonganoxie are not only inaccurate, but that many of the techniques depicted on these shows and used in real law enforcement are little more than junk science. Truth be told, fingerprint, bite and splatter analysis are anything but the virtual certainty law enforcement has said they are over the years. We have been told as gospel truth that no two people in the world have identical fingerprints.  However, that statement has never undergone scientific validation. It is now, as the National Academy of Sciences is trying to sort the fact from the fiction. Then there's the case of those heroic TV tornado chasers who risk their lives to uncover the mysteries of nature's most violent event.  Of course, they downplay the fact that they take unnecessary risks so they can make big bucks selling dramatic pictures of tornadoes.  This morning's Lawrence Journal World has a front-page article on how emergency management officials in Western Kansas are complaining that these storm chasers actually inhibited emergency responses this past weekend - one in which dozens of tornadoes raked across the Plains. Their complaints centered on clogged roads full of rubberneckers and dangerous driving in pursuit of storms. As you might suspect, professional storm chasers bristled at the criticism. One suggested that storm chasers probably saved lives this past weekend -- a smart claim to make because it can't be proved. The last reminder of TV as fantasy comes out of the world of sports, where all five starters in this year's University of Kentucky national championship basketball team have announced that they are leaving college after one year to pursue careers in the National Basketball Association. At the beginning of this month, we saw the highly talented Wildcats presented on a national television stage as exceptional amateur student athletes. This mass departure puts the student part of that phrase to a lie. Scandal-ridden coach John Calipari gamed the system while thumbing his nose to the concept of intercollegiate athletics.  Even if everything was on the up-and-up, Slick Cal did little more than use scholarships to hire mercenaries to win a title. When one considers that Calipari is the only coach to have two Final Four appearances wiped off the books because of NCAA violations, one can only wonder how long it will be before the word amateur will go unchallenged. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 18 -- The World of Immanuel Can't April 13, 2012 Wimpy, the appropriately named hamburger-eating character from the Popeye cartoon series, used to say "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." It's a funny line delivered by a chronic moocher. Unfortunately is that kind of wimpy philosophy that is pervasive in American society today.  From a White House and Congress that put off tough decisions until the next election cycle to the local school board that cannot bring itself to close and consolidate under-enrolled schools, too many of our so-called "leaders" lack the moral fiber to make the tough decisions that they know in their hearts are right.  This wimpy leadership is not limited to government. I've seen it at the University of Kansas, where deans and chancellors make wimpy compromises because the path to doing the right thing is just too hard. These are people who are followers of Immanuel Can't -- not to be confused with Immanuel Kant.  Kant is the father of the categorical imperative, a philosophy that says in an ethical society, we are all bound by the same rules. (A simplification, to be sure. But it makes the point.) However, in the world of wimpy leadership, Kant is transformed into Can't -- as in "we can't do that because not everyone agrees."  Lacking the will to tackle the most serious challenges we face, these so-called leaders hide behind narrowly defined rules more designed to preserve the status quo than to encourage meaningful change -- a sort of perverted categorical imperative.  When they do so, they say they are just being fair. However, in reality, we pay a high cost for this narrow-minded approach to leadership.  Take, for example, the current presidential campaign. Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama will be eviscerated if they veer -- even slightly -- from statements they made in the past. And we will parse everything they say in an effort to button-hole them into intractable positions. We don't like "flip-flops" -- which also means we don't like our leaders to change their minds. We say it is a sign of weakness. And when our elected leaders reach a compromise to move the process of governing forward, we call them wimps. But make no mistake about it, a strict adherence to this perverse categorical imperative is nothing less than a safe harbor for cowards.  Real leaders make nuanced decisions based on the unique variables of each situation they face.  They are guided by principles and values, not by artificial one-size-fits-all rules. As we move down the perilous path that lies ahead, we would be best served to remember that we should ask no more of our leaders than we ask of ourselves. And if we demand little of ourselves, what can we expect from others? That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 17 -- Smug Superiority April 5, 2012 For a guy who was editor of the Harvard Law Review, Barack Obama often appears to have little understanding of the American judicial system. A lot of people, including at least one federal judge, took note this week when the President made the ludicrous assertion that it would be unprecedented for the United States Supreme Court to overturn his controversial health care law. Obama's reasoning: How can the court dare to overturn legislation passed by a majority of the Congress? Barry, the court has been doing that sort of thing since Marbury v. Madison in 1803.  And lest you forget, your own administration has asked the court to overturn several laws it opposes, such as the Defense of Marriage Act. One could excuse the President's intemperate comments if it wasn't part of a disturbing pattern.  Last week, he jumped with both feet into the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida. It is one thing for the President, the nation's chief law enforcement officer, to express a desire for justice.  But to suggest that the young man could have been his own son had the effect of taking sides in a dispute in which the facts are anything but clear.  That is not what a President should do. And then there was Obama's State of Union last year, when the President called out the Supreme Court for its Citizens United ruling with the justices sitting only a few feet in front of him.  The image of Chuck Schumer and other Senate stooges standing over the justices' shoulders and showing open contempt for them is disturbing. That presidential ambush was not the act of a transformational leader who said he wanted to change the tone of American politics.  Instead, it was the act of a hack Chicago politician languishing in the polls desperately seeking reelection.  When I endorsed Obama for president in 2008 (Vol. 2 No. 26), I said that I had chosen to do so despite his reputation for arrogance.  However, Obama's calculated assault on the Supreme Court, one in which he has sought to intimidate the court for political gain, has crossed the line.  His defenders say that he is doing nothing more than his detractors have done. Point taken. But he is the President, which means he has to act like he is President. At a time when Republican infighting should be easing the way for the President's reelection, it is Obama's streak of smug superiority that gives his opponents hope. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 16 -- The Morning After April 3, 2012 Four years ago on this very morning, the morning after the NCAA men's basketball championship game, Lawrence, Kansas, was at the center of joy.  The night before, the Jayhawks had rallied from nine points down in the final minutes to beat Memphis to win the title.  For awhile, last night's game had the same feel.  Kansas rallied from an even greater deficit to within a few points in the waning moments of the championship game against Kentucky.  But this time, KU's magic came up short and the Wildcats won their eighth NCAA title.  There may not be joy today in Lawrence, but neither is there despair. It is not like 2003, when the favored Jayhawks lost the title to Syracuse -- and game in which KU shot miserably from the free-throw line.  It is more like 1991's loss to Duke, when the Jayhawks exceeded all expectations to reach the final night of competition.  There are a lot of things wrong with intercollegiate athletics - but to cite them here might ring of sour grapes.  However, there are a lot of things right, as well.  When one sees a team lift the spirits of an entire state - be that state Kansas or Kentucky - then there's something good to say for the enterprise.  Most of the players who figured prominently last night have played their final college game. Some, like Connor Teahan, will graduate at year's end. Others, like Thomas Robinson, are ready to play for pay in the National Basketball Association.  The rest of us will remain where we are now - with vivid, somewhat bittersweet memories and the promise of greater glory over the horizon. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 15 -- The Final Four March 26, 2012 The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team earned its 14th trip to the NCAA's Final Four yesterday. It's the fifth Final Four in my 21 years on campus.  There's something special about being on campus during Final Four week. There's a hum of anticipation.  The world is open to all possibilities.  Best of all, EVERYONE is in good mood.  It's a time when differences between majors, hometowns, political affiliations and religious beliefs are all set aside. For at least a short time, we are all members of the Jayhawk Nation.  I suspect that is true for the members of the Ohio State, Kentucky and Louisville campus communities.  What makes this particular Final Four so joyous is that, unlike those in the past, this one was unexpected.  Kansas is one a of a handful of basketball programs that can be considered a part of Roundball Royalty. However, with graduations and NBA departures from last year's highly ranked squad, this was supposed to be a "rebuilding year."  My highest expectation for this season was that the Jayhawks might - and I emphasize might - make it to the Sweet 16. However, Kansas dramatically matured during the year.  Thomas Robinson, a substitute on last year's squad, may well be named National Player of the Year. Jeff Withey, a mild-mannered Clark Kent of a center last year, has become a Superman in the middle. And Tyshawn Taylor, a high-risk, high-reward sort of player, has been more reward than risk as of late.  Of course, it doesn't hurt to have the best basketball coach in America on our side. And the best fans.  In the best arena. (That's not just me saying that - both the Jayhawk fans and Allen Field House have been proclaimed the best by others.) I am not going to pretend to know what's going to happen Saturday night in New Orleans.  I sure hope we win.  But if we don't, we've already won.  Final Four week is a gift from the team to the Jayhawk Nation.  Let's enjoy it. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. And Rock Chalk Jayhawk! x Vol. 6 No. 14 -- Another Saint Patrick's Day March 15, 2012 Saturday (March 17) is the fifth anniversary of the worst day of my life.  Without warning and in just a matter of minutes, my beautiful, intelligent and loving wife passed away.  It was a cerebral hemorrhage that claimed my wife of nearly 32 years on that mournful St. Patrick's morning. I never had to the chance to say goodbye and tell her how much I love her. While it would be 21 hours before the doctors made her death official, I know now that all she had ever been or will ever be ceased to exist within fifteen minutes of the onset of the hemorrhage. One small bit of comfort I have is the possibility that in her last cognitive moments she knew that I was trying to save her. The wounds of the past five years have not completely healed.  They probably never will.  But thanks to my remarkable daughter - who is blessed with her mother's brains and beauty and cursed with her father's warped sense of humor - I have survived. I also had the untiring support of my siblings, my late-wife's family, my Lawrence neighbors and my KU colleagues. To be certain, the road to recovery sometimes has been rocky. But a real sign that I have emerged from the greatest crisis of my life is that when I now think of Jan, I no longer automatically go back to that horrid day. Instead, I think of the bespeckled high school waitress in blue hose that I met on my first night in Kentucky in February 1974. I had moved from College Park, Maryland, to the little Ohio River town of Hawesville to begin my radio career. I had no idea of the adventure I had begun that rain-swept winter's evening. But it was a glorious ride. After Jan died, I doubted that I could ever love again. However, that wasn't the first - nor the last - time in my life that I was proven wrong. I am now 19 months married to a woman who has brought new joy to my heart and a spring to my step. Ironically, she is of Irish descent, which means that March 17 has its own special meaning for her. On the fifth anniversary of Jan's passing, it is important that I remember my first great love. But it is also important that I share in the joy of my Maureen's special day. And I believe that's how Jan would want it to be.  March 17 is the fifth anniversary of the worst day of my life. It is also the first day of the rest of my life. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 13 -- Yes, There Will Be Blood March 12, 2012 No one in his or her right mind wants war with Iran. But wishing it away is no guarantee that it won't happen - and may actually hasten it. You can talk of morality all you want. But peace with Iran cannot exist as long as its regime is hell-bent on fomenting its particular brand of radical Islam. They call us infidels, bankroll assassins who kill American soldiers and proclaim us to be the Great Satin. Does anyone other than Jimmy Carter really believe that we can negotiate with people sworn to destroy us? Historians would tell us that the United States would not have the bad relations we have with Iran today if we hadn't propped up the repressive regime of the Shah for so many years. Of course, when one considers the democratic traditions of the Middle East, there's no telling what kind of despot would have taken his place. But there is one thing we do know: If the United States does not look out for its self-interests, there will be no power on earth to protect the interests of freedom-loving people everywhere.  There's an old saying: You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.  Do you want peace without war? Then we are going to have secure it the old fashioned way: Buy off and prop up the Iranian military which, in turn, will effect its own regime change. Yes, there will be blood. And yes, this kind of meddling doesn't seem to embrace the democratic values we hold dear.  However, it is a pragmatic solution to a deadly serious problem. And the blood spilled now may pale to that which will be spilled if we continue to engage in our foreign policy of wishful thinking.  Considering its track record on assessing foreign military strength, do you really believe American intelligence proclamations that Iran is two years away from obtaining nuclear weapons? And let's face reality: If Iran is allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, it is not a matter of if there will be war as it is when. And make no mistake about it: the Iranian regime is as much an enemy and threat to the United States as Hitler's Germany.  If blood has to be spilled -- and in my assessment it is unavoidable -- then let it be spilled inside Iran.  Before we sacrifice the youth of our nation in another Middle East adventure, let's explore every option for removing this cancer through clandestine means before it is allowed to spread. The alternative, to pray that unreasonable zealots will suddenly change their tune and seek compromise is not only naive, but reckless and immoral. In the final analysis, yes, there will be blood. The only open question is on whose terms it will be spilled. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 12 -- KeepingThem Honest March 8, 2012 Is is a question of bias or collective amnesia?  Either way, the current media narrative on the race for the Republican presidential nomination doesn't make any sense.  According to the nation's punditocracy, the Republicans are engaged in a destructive primary process that will doom their chances for victory in November.  They say the fact that frontrunner Mitt Romney didn't sew up the nomination by Super Tuesday demonstrates his weakness. However, one need only to look back four years at the 2008 primary season to see the fallacy of this narrative. In that election cycle, Super Tuesday was on February 5 - a full month before it was this year.  It wasn't until four months and two days after Super Tuesday 2008 that Senator Barack Obama finally secured the nomination from the challenge of Senator Hillary Clinton. This year's narrative says the bitter infighting between the Republican candidates is fracturing the party. The assumption is that the losers' followers will stay home or vote for the Democrat nominee. Again, 2008 is instructive. In a singularly cynical and divisive move, Bill and Hillary Clinton pulled out the so-called "race card" in an unsuccessful effort to derail Obama in the 2008 South Carolina primary (See Vol. 2 No. 3). Yet Obama somehow won the presidency. It is well documented that conservatives - whether they be Romney conservatives, Gingrich conservatives or Santorum conservatives - dislike this president.  And while there is one significant difference between 2008 and 2012, the presence of an incumbant in the race, this particular incumbant is not that particularly popular, at least according to the  Gallup Poll. This is all to say "pay no attention to those pundits behind the curtain." Like the Wizard of Oz, they are little more than masters of smoke and mirrors.  Instead of providing measured observations designed to illuminate readers and viewers about our political process, they are mere surrogates for the candidates, themselves. (If they were public relations practitioners, the news media would call them "fronts" and accuse them of unethical behavior. Ironic, isn't it?) The next time you watch Anderson "Blow Dry" Cooper, Ed "the last Angry Man Standing" Schultz or Bill "Spin Doctor" O'Reilly, you will need to take what they say with more than a grain of salt. It will take a truckload. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 11 -- Romney Rising February 28, 2012 Mitt Romney passed a major test tonight on his road to the Republican presidential nomination.  He successfully fended off Rick Santorum's challenge in Romney's native Michigan.  A loss there would not have necessarily ended Romney's campaign, but it could have crippled it.  The former Massachusetts governor can now go into next week's Super Tuesday primaries with something that will pass for momentum. As important as Romney's win was Santorum's loss. The former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania had been leading in the Michigan polls as recently as last week.  However, the more people got a good look at Santorum, the less they liked him.  He also made a strategic mistake by switching his message from fiscal conservatism to social and cultural issues. When Santorum goes off on that tangent, he scares the heck out of a lot of people -- including me.  Throughout this primary season, the media have focused their narrative on Romney's difficult courtship with Republican conservatives.  Tonight's twin victories in Michigan and mostly uncontested Arizona will not completely tamp down that storyline. However, they certainly won't feed it, either.  Next week's 10 Super Tuesday primaries - especially Ohio - could, effectively, sew things up for Romney.  Santorum is Romney's only serious challenger. Major losses next Tuesday may dry up his fund raising. Recent polls have Santorum ahead in Ohio, but tonight's results and the former senator's gaffe's may change that. Meanwhile, the delusionary and illusionary Newt Gingrich vows to fight on unto the convention. However, even he eventually must see that no one - especially Republicans - want him on the ticket. Ron Paul is that crazy uncle that everyone hopes will just go away. And while Romney is the decided underdog in the fall election against President Obama, the fall election is not a slam dunk.  And don't think that the Democrats don't know it. Why else were they urging Michigan Democrats to vote in the Republican primary for Santorum? And just as Democrats put their primary battles behind them four years ago to support their nominee, the Republicans will do the same. And lest we forget, President Obama's current job approval rating is only 43 percent. Romney is not out of the woods yet, but his stock is rising. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 10 -- Gut-Check Time in America February 21, 2012 Recently, a Super Bowl commercial featuring Clint Eastwood declaring that it is "Halftime in America" created quite a stir. It was the Chrysler Corporation's way of saying that the U.S. auto industry is leading a resurgence of the American spirit - and, by the way, buying a Chrysler wouldn't hurt. It was a take off of the famous Ronald Reagan "Morning in America" reelection spot of 1984 - another homage to the reemerging American spirit.  Far from me to argue with Dirty Harry or Dutch, but I feel that a far more accurate characterization of our times is that it is Gut-Check Time in America.  We have some very difficult choices to make. These are choices about the role of government in our lives and, more importantly, whether we have any faith in that government. It is a tug of war between those who want to expand government programs and those who believe we are already taxed too much and want to see spending slashed.  Of course, when one engages in a tug of war, it leaves little room for compromise.  We have hard choices ahead of us and I can't but wonder if we are up to the task.  It is easy to deride Washington or Topeka politicians for "doing nothing." However, what I have seen locally brings me little cause for hope. For example, the local school board created a 26-committee and charged it with making recommendations on how to save money by consolidating some of Lawrence's elementary schools. (Of course, "consolidate" is a code for "close.")  Rather than do what it was charged to do, the committee split into two camps, one that said we shouldn't close schools but should spend more money improving those we have and another that left the option of closing schools open (without an specific recommendations) and also said we should spend more money. In short, rather than doing what it was charged to do, the committee punted. And who could blame it? The creation of the committee, itself, was the callous act of a school board seeking to insulate itself from making the hard choices its members were elected to make.  To its credit, the committee rejected the false dichotomy of "tax or cut."  Guess what - we have to do both.  If it means raising taxes and consolidating schools to get our financial house in order, so be it. The United States can't continue borrowing 41 cents for every dollar it spends. We have to make strategic decisions. Not everything can be our top priority. That kind of decision-making involves having a backbone - something that appears to be in short supply among American voters and politicians. And the clock is ticking. It's Gut-Check Time in America. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 9 -- Someone Waiting at Home February 16, 2012 I was driving home in a typically dreary midwinter twilight last night when it hit me: Someone was waiting at home for me. As I walked in the door, I was enveloped with a warm "hi" and the sights, sounds, and smells of a home during dinner preparation. I realized that it had been five years since I had relished in the glory of coming home.  Five years since my wife Jan passed away.  While she was never a homebound mom, she had been telecommuter since 2001. Her daily commute was to and from her basement office - often in fuzzy slippers. There was comfort in knowing she was always at home waiting for me. Walking into a bustling home is almost spiritual.  When you do, all seems right in the world. As a widower, there was no joy returning at day's end to an empty house. I was greeted, as always, by my dog, Boomer.  He's a great guy, but not much of a conversationalist. Even after I remarried in June 2010, my bride commuted to the Kansas City area every weekday. That meant that she usually would leave for work before I did and return home after me. However, Maureen recently retired from her job in Olathe. And now, when I come home, I am no longer greeted by deafening silence.  It is easy to take the little things in life for granted.  It is easy to forget how hard it is to sit in one's home and hear only the sound of a ticking clock - serving as a constant and painful reminder that that time was all I had. The grieving for a loved one never really ends.  However, with the restoration of normalcy comes the restoration of one's soul.  There's someone waiting at home - for me. What was once an everyday occurrence is now music to my ears. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 8 -- Backing Away from Bad Ideas February 11, 2012 One can only hope that state Rep. Forrest Knox (R-Altoona) will learn a lesson in humility and practical politics from President Barack Obama.  The President yesterday backed down from a proposed policy that would have required religious organizations pay for birth control for their workers. Under his compromise, women would still get free birth control. Instead of making religious organizations ignore their values, Obama proposed that insurance companies serving those organizations be required to provide it free under a separate contract. In announcing this compromise, the President backed away from what I consider a constitutionally untenable position. Proponents argued that similar regulations had successfully fought off challenges before.  However, those proponents conveniently forget to mention that these victories were won through administrative and regulatory channels and not within the courts. By backing away from this overreaching regulation, Obama has avoided an election-year showdown with the Catholic Church that would have undermined his reelection. This takes us to Rep. Knox, who has proposed a Kansas state law that would allow persons licensed to carry concealed weapons to do so in public buildings that do not have weapons screening at their entrances. The effect of this regulation would be to allow people to carry concealed weapons onto college campuses.  Either that, or already money-strapped institutions would have to take on the added burden of creating an TSA-like bureaucracy to continue the existing weapons ban.  One can't help but wonder on what planet do people think mixing guns with young people makes sense?  After senseless massacres at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, how is this a good idea? If Knox's argument is that concealed weapons would deter future slaughters, why stop at guns? Let the campus bookstores sell handgrenades and flame throwers. Does that seem a bit extreme and ludicrous? Of course it is. It is just as ludicrous as introducing guns into an often-stressful environment dominated by sometimes immature, hormone and alcohol-driven young adults. The sad fact is similar legislation passed the Kansas House of Representatives two years ago - when memories of Virginia Tech and NIU were still fresh. Fortunately, the bill failed in the Kansas Senate. Let's hope that this year's version meets the same fate. Rep. Knox, please back away from this very bad idea. Introducing weapons into classrooms and other public settings will not deter violence. Instead, it will increase the likelihood of it. Despite any good intentions you may have, the ultimate effect of your bill would be to do more harm than good. Rep. Knox, if you bring violence to our campuses, the blood will be on your hands. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 7 -- The Winds of War February 5, 2012 I hate to be the bearer of bad news. However, in case you haven't noticed, our country is slowly slipping into one of the most dangerous crises it has faced since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. There is an increasing possibility that we will be in an military conflict with Iran - and its friends the Russians and the Chinese - within a few weeks.  The thing is, it may not be a fight of our choosing. A dangerous threshold was passed yesterday, when the Russians and Chinese vetoed an Arab League-backed U.N. resolution against the Assad regime's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Syria. The U.N.'s impotence in the face of Assad's criminal behavior has sent a clear signal to Tehran that it has nothing to fear when it comes to joint military action against Iran's nuclear weapons program. The Iranians calculate that the United States doesn't have the backbone to take military action to halt the Islamic terror state's nuclear weapons development program.  However, the Israeli government has seen those same signals, has come to the same conclusion and feels less need to act with restraint.  A nuclear weaponized Iran poses a clear and present danger to the Jewish state.  The Israelis are posed to attack Iran as early as this spring. Given the U.S. government's almost blind allegiance to Israel, American involvement in the conflict is virtually assured - especially if Iran receives aid from the Russians and the Chinese.  However, Iran may not be willing to wait for an Israeli attack.  The U.N. sanctions against Iran are apparently working very well - so well, in fact, that the Iranians have begun to beat war drums. They are threatening to block key oil shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf. That, too, would result in American military intervention. And if you weren't listening closely, President Obama has done his own saber-rattling. In his recent State of the Union address, Obama said "no options are off the table" when it comes to preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons.  I don't know about you, but I sat right up in my chair when I heard him say that. That is unprecedented public language from a U.S. president that not-so-subtly reminded Iran that we have nuclear weapons of our own and are prepared to use them. Meanwhile, the Russians and Chinese have started acting as if they are trying to reinvent the Cold War by recklessly backing unstable and irrational regimes.  Perhaps the only thing that may give this unholy alliance pause to think is the realization that it is capitalism, not communism, that have given their nations a period of relative economic stability.  However, it makes me nervous to think that the difference between peace and war rests on whether the Russians and Chinese realize that World War III would be bad for business. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 6 -- But Do They Really Mean It? February 1, 2012 In the wake of the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State University, the late football coach Joe Paterno was fired because he didn't do more than the law and university policy required. Beyond reporting the allegations against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky to his superiors, the school's governing board decided that Paterno should have done more, jumped the chain of command, and gone directly to law enforcement. Since then, university officials across the country, in a thinly veiled effort to insulate their schools from similar liabilities, have enacted policies requiring employees to immediately report instances of sexual abuse or assault on children to law enforcement authorities. University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little articulated such a policy only yesterday.  While I applaud the sentiment behind such declarations, one can't help but wonder if they really mean it? Are we not, as citizens, duty-bound to report any and all crimes we witness to law enforcement? And we are not just talking about child sexual assault. During my two decades at this university, I can cite many situations where KU has chosen to deal with potentially criminal violations internally rather than risk public embarrassment. Whether it be the sleazy athletic director who gets a $2 million buyout to go away or the incompetent dean who suddenly decides he misses the classroom, KU has a long history of being less than candid when it comes to dealing with the questionable legal conduct of some of its employees. The university may not have known it, but its pious statements concerning child sexual abuse have established a legal standard of disclosure by which employees may be judged.  They are now required to to do more than the law says they should.  In fact, the next time I see something in the workplace I consider legally questionable, I am not going to tell my supervisor.  I am going to do exactly what KU infers that I should do: I am going to call the cops. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 5 -- The State of the Union 2012 January 24, 2012 For those who drink President Obama's Kool-Aid, tonight's State of the Union Address was masterful and visionary.  For the Obama-bashers, it was a cynically partisan affair. In fact, the only thing those two groups have in common is that they had already made up their minds on whether they loved or hated the speech before they heard it.  For someone like me, who doesn't allow political affiliation to dictate how I vote, I found things I liked in the speech, as well as those I didn't.  Thematically, I liked the President's focus on economic fairness.  However, like most people, tax policy and what a so-called "tax overhaul" will actually mean is not my strong suit.  I can see merits in both sides of the argument. However, the creation of international trade and financial regulation enforcement units made good sense. At one point, the president joked about "crying over spilled milk," a reference to a recently slashed regulation that treats spilled milk as a hazardous substance. From there, he seamlessly pivoted into a vigorous defense of government regulatory oversight. Rhetorically, I felt it was brilliant, as was his call for unity at the end of the speech. However, much of the speech was more about political positioning than substance.  Did you notice how many times he would mention the name of cities located in key electoral battleground states, such as Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Raleigh? At one point he urged Congress to not slash funding for university-based research - just five minutes after threatening to slash funding to colleges and universities because of their rising tuitions.  He talked about a peace dividend we will supposedly receive with the conclusion of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  But it seems shallow to talk about peace dividends when, in the same breathe, the President says "no options are off the table" when it comes to dealing with Iran and we are moving troops to Australia to counter growing Chinese military influence in the Pacific Rim. As for the President's defense of his energy policies, it came across as nothing less than a sea of contradictions. He bragged about opening up 75 percent of the nation's offshore oil and gas reserves just days after denying a permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline that would ship crude oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast. It seems the nearly six years that have passed since the project was first proposed didn't give the government enough time to make a decision. Now those jobs and oil are headed for China. One also can't listen to Obama talk about investing in alternative energy without thinking about his administration's dubious - and possibly criminal - $535 million loan guarantee to the failed alternative energy company Solyndra. Many within his administration thought it was a bad idea, but were overruled by the White House. It was also obvious that the President is math challenged, crowing about the creation of three million jobs in the same sentence he acknowledged that we had lost at least four million jobs on his watch and eight million since the start of the Great Recession.  While tonight's State of the Union Address may have fired up Obama's most fervent supporters as well as his opponents, for the undecided voters like me, we should take it for what it was, politics as usual. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 4 -- Letterman's Question January 10, 2012 David Letterman loves to ask provocative questions. In fact, he is well paid to do so. There are times Dave will ask a guest a question with no expectations that he or she will answer.  Instead, Letterman is more interested in the reaction to his questions.  That happen last week, when he asked NBC News anchor Brian Williams "When did the Republican Party become the party of the emotionally unstable?" Williams, understandably, dodged the question. To take Williams off Letterman's hook, I'd like to answer Dave's question with just two words: "Newt Gingrich."  The former House Speaker and soon-to-be former presidential candidate is one of architects of the poisonous slash-and-burn tactics that have virtually destroyed civility in American politics. Granted, every ying must have its yang and that there are a number of Democrats - James Carville comes to mind - who have the same blood on their hands.  However, Gingrich is the only one of those late-1980s/early-1990s politicos currently running for president. And despite his best intentions, Newt can't miss an opportunity to remind us that beneath his soft, cuddly and intellectual exterior is one callous and mean-spirited son of a bitch.  His behavior during the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary campaigns has been nothing short of an embarrassment. Newt wants to portray himself as a latter-day Wizard of Oz - "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."  His past behaviors - political and personal - are supposed to be off-limits.  We are supposed to focus on the "new Newt" - the seasoned intellectual who has benefited from life's lessons.  However, considering the ferocious attacks he has unleashed at his opponents - especially Mitt Romney - the truth is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Newt wants to claim the mantle of Republican Saint Ronald Reagan. However, even Democrats will tell you that Reagan was not a nasty, bare-knuckles politician.  Reagan could be tough. And he was a lot smarter than many of his opponents thought. And with Reagan, it was never personal. I never voted for Reagan - an artifact of his challenge to Gerald Ford in 1976.  But I learned to respect him and his presidency. So, to paraphrase the late Lloyd Bentsen, "Newt. I knew Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was a friend of mine. And you are no Ronald Reagan." That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 3 -- Gutting the Fifth Amendment January 6, 2012 Almost everyone knows the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution as the one that protects individuals from self-incrimination in a court of law.  However, the beginning clause of the amendment is equally significant: "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger." Unfortunately, the Congress and President of the United States have chosen to trash the Fifth Amendment in the recent Defense Authorization Act, which includes a provision (section 1021) which makes it possible for the military to indefinitely detain anyone -- including American citizens -- who may be suspected of terrorism.  It also removes certain individuals from civilian judicial jurisdiction and places them under the control of military justice.  This bill passed both houses of Congress with substantial bipartisan majorities. Rep. Tim Huelskamp was the only member of the Kansas congressional delegation to vote against it. President Obama signed the measure into law New Year's Eve after saying he would veto it if the legislation contained these Fifth Amendment-gutting provisions. Obama signed the bill, along with an 1,800-word signing statement which said his administration would comply "with the Constitution, the laws of war, and all other applicable law."  This was a particularly cynical action on the part of this president, who has been critical of his predecessor for using similar signing statements to dampen or justify his approval of controversial legislation.  I have three major objections to this bill. First, and most obvious, it is unconstitutional.  Not only does it violate the Fifth Amendment, it also violates 14th amendment "due process" guarantees. Second, this questionable provision is - essentially - our government saying that it has no faith in our system of laws, checks and balances. Congress may not trust our courts to do the right thing.  But has it checked its own approval ratings as of late? Finally, this provision puts in place a legal mechanism for a coup d'etat. Frankly, I do not believe that Obama or any of the people currently running for president would do anything that extreme.  But who is to say that isn't a possibility for the future?  We need a strong Constitution to protect our people from rash and convenient quick fixes -- such as arresting anyone who disagrees with us in the name of national security. Could that happen here?  Who is to say it can't? Just ask any Japanese-American alive during the Second World War.  I condemn our elected leaders - especially President Obama - for blithely accepting this heinous assault on American values.  If you can't govern using the framework the founders gave you, step aside in favor of those who will adhere to the values we all hold true and dear as Americans. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 2 -- The Iowa Caucuses January 3, 2012 The first meaningful votes in the 2012 presidential campaign have been cast.  But what do the results of tonight's Iowa caucuses really mean? The flippant answer would be to say "not much."  But that's not true. For Mitt Romney, the convenient conservative, he leaves the Hawkeye state in good shape. He hadn't campaigned in Iowa as much as his rivals. It was only a few weeks ago that polls suggested Romney might crash and burn - meet his Waterloo (Iowa), so to speak. Now he rolls into next week's New Hampshire primary in a position of strength with what is, essentially, a home court advantage. While Rick Santorum and Ron Paul unquestionably had a good night, the euphoria they feel will not last very long. Santorum, a late bloomer in this race who ended in a virtual dead-heat with Romney, has neither the money nor organization to mount a serious challenge. Frankly, he has been a weak debater - a major problem for him now that the spotlight on him will shine brighter. The former Pennsylvania senator may be able translate tonight's showing into much-needed hard cash, but I have my doubts.  As for Ron Paul, the more seriously people take his candidacy, the less they will like what they see and hear. Rick Perry's embarrassing fourth place finish has him headed home to Texas to reassess his campaign - a sign that his candidacy may be short-lived. The angry and baggage-laden Newt Gingrich, who finished fourth in Iowa will hang around until South Carolina, hoping he can marshal the Bob Jones University crowd behind him. Michele Bachmann has suffered a crushing defeat and should be hard pressed to continue her campaign. However, she is just as stubborn as Gingrich and may fight on through South Carolina.  Even Jon Huntsman - viewed by Iowans as a RINO (republican in name only) - will hang on for at least another week. He's been staking his hopes on a decent showing next Tuesday in more moderate New Hampshire.  Unfortunately for his handful of followers, polls suggest Huntsman is running a distant third in the Granite State. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Iowa caucuses is exit polling suggesting that republicans are more interested in the electability of their nominee than in his or her ideology - something that bodes well for Romney.  Another interesting aspect is the relatively low turnout - a sign of republican voter apathy and potentially good news for President Obama. EDITOR'S NOTE: Michele Bachmann suspended her presidential campaign on the morning after the caucuses. Perry announced on the morning after that he would skip New Hampshire and focus his efforts on South Carolina. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. x Vol. 6 No. 1 -- Leap into 2012 January 1, 2012 The start of a new year is always a time of reflection and prediction.  This year is no different.  However, 2012 promises to be anything but ordinary.  It is a leap year, a presidential election year, an Olympic year and, according to Mayan prophecy, the year in which the world ends.  In just a matter of hours, the first meaningful event of the presidential campaign, the Iowa caucuses, will occur. After a series of roller-coaster polls, it appears as if former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney may finally get some love from his fellow republicans. Despite scatter-brained and radical ideas, Representative Ron Paul (R-Tex) has a superior organization in Iowa and could upset the Romney bandwagon. As for Newt Gingrich, his latest 15-minutes are up. For the record, I will not endorse a candidate for president -- if at all -- until after the last fall presidential debate.  But my guess is that it won't matter who the Republicans choose as their nominee.  I believe President Obama will be reelected. His amazing fund-raising ability, combined with the advantages of incumbency and the Republicans' penchant toward self-destruction, gives him the edge.  A wild card is the European economy. It could drag us into a double-dip recession and hurt Obama's chances. A second wild card is Iran, which has been doing a lot of saber rattling as of late. Any military confrontation with Iran would (a) end badly for the Iranians and (b) would ensure Obama's reelection. Unfortunately for the Iranian leadership, hatred cuts both ways. Iran is the country that the American people hate more than any other. Give us the slightest excuse, and we will level Tehran before lunch without an ounce of guilt.  A third wild card: This will be a year when we may see a third-party candidate - probably Ron Paul.  It won't be Donald Trump, although he will threaten to do so in an effort to generate more of the mindless publicity that he seeks. In any event, a third-party challenger will probably come from the right, which can only hurt the GOP's chances.  If Nancy Pelosi finally retires - and there are hints that she is considering it - the Democrats will have a chance to win the House.  But if she remains in the picture, her continued presence will invigorate Republicans, ensure that they keep their hold on the House, and could endanger Obama's chances. There's one other fact to consider: The 2010 Census resulted in a redistribution of votes in the Electoral College, one that favors Republicans. There's a lot to consider in 2012 - and we even get an extra day to do it! One final prediction for 2012: The Mayans were wrong and I will be explaining how I screwed up my predictions one year from today.   That's it for now. Happy New Year! And Fear the Turtle. x